Definitions

cede

[seed] / sid /

VERB

abandon, surrender

Synonyms

STRONGEST

capitulate communicate concede give in give up grant hand over relinquish renounce sign over transfer waive

STRONG

abdicate accord alien alienate allow convey drop fold leave resign vouchsafe yield

WEAK

abalienate come across with deed fork over make over part with remise throw in the sponge throw in the towel

Antonyms

STRONGEST

fight hold keep refuse

STRONG

challenge continue deny disallow disapprove maintain oppose reject retain withhold

WEAK

defend gain guard take over win

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Alfonsi wrote in an email to colleagues at the time that if the standard for airing a story became the government agreeing to be interviewed, the network would cede editorial control.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

“It would be a missed opportunity to cede this stage.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

Social-media companies hardly seem ready to cede the argument yet.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

The Chagos Islands are currently owned by the UK, but the British government has agreed to cede sovereignty of them to Mauritius and lease back the base on Diego Garcia.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Over the next two decades, the Osage were forced to cede nearly a hundred million acres of their ancestral land, ultimately finding refuge in a 50-by-125-mile area in southeastern Kansas.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

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