Word: concede (verb)

Associations

"Concede" means to admit or accept something, often reluctantly or after some argument. It is often used when someone accepts that another person is right or that they have lost.

• In a debate, you might concede a point when you realize the other person has a stronger argument.
• In sports, a team might concede a goal when the opposing team scores.
• In an election, a candidate may concede defeat when they see they cannot win.

A similar word is "admit," but "concede" usually implies some hesitation or resistance before accepting something, while "admit" can be more neutral.

Substitution

You can replace "concede" with:

• admit (less emotional, more neutral)
• acknowledge (focuses on recognition)
• yield (more formal, often means giving up)
• accept (general, less about argument)

For example, "He conceded the point" could also be "He admitted the point" or "He acknowledged the point," but "conceded" suggests he was reluctant.

Deconstruction

The word "concede" comes from Latin "concedere," where "con-" means "together" or "completely," and "cedere" means "to go" or "to yield." So, it literally means "to yield completely" or "to give in."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where you had to concede something even though you didn’t want to?
• How is conceding different from simply agreeing?
• In what situations is it important to concede, and when might it be better not to concede?