accede

verb

ac·​cede ak-ˈsēd How to pronounce accede (audio)
ik-
acceded; acceding
Synonyms of accedenext

intransitive verb

1
formal
a
: to express approval or give consent : to agree to a request or demand
—usually + to
The government acceded to their demands.
b
: to become a party to something (such as an agreement)
—usually + to
accede to the terms of a contract
2
formal : to enter upon an office or position
—usually + to
He acceded to the throne [=became king] in 1838.
3
archaic, formal : approach

Did you know?

To accede usually means to yield, often under pressure and with some reluctance, to the needs or requests of others. Voters usually accede to a tax increase only when they're convinced it's the only real solution to a shortfall in government funding. A patient may accede to surgery only after the doctor assures him it's better than the alternatives. If you accede to your spouse's plea to watch the new reality show at 9:00, you may get to choose something better at 10:00.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for accede

assent, consent, accede, acquiesce, agree, subscribe mean to concur with what has been proposed.

assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Examples of accede in a Sentence

His son acceded upon the king's death. finally acceded to their pleas for more time to complete the project
Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps Counsell acceded to his new bosses when final roster decisions were made in spring training, and finally has seen enough. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2024 By acceding to public opinion and false claims of salutary effects, state governments are exposing their constituents to health hazards. —Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, TIME, 3 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for accede 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accede.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acceden "to come near, become adapted to," borrowed from Latin accēdere "to draw near, approach, side (with), be added (to)," from ad- ad- + cēdere "to go away, yield" — more at cede

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of accede was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing accede

Dictionary Entries Near accede

accedas ad curiam

accede

accede to the throne

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Accede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accede. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

accede

verb
ac·​cede ak-ˈsēd How to pronounce accede (audio)
ik-
acceded; acceding
1
: to give consent : agree
accede to a proposed plan
2
formal : to enter upon an office or position
acceded to the throne in 1838

Legal Definition

accede

intransitive verb
ac·​cede ak-ˈsēd, ik- How to pronounce accede (audio)
acceded; acceding
1
a
: to become a party (as to an agreement) by associating oneself with others
they were invited to accede to the covenant
b
: to express approval or give consent
the banker asks for collateral. The debtor…accedes, and transfers some of his property—In re Patterson, 139 F. Supp. 830 (1956)
2
: to assume an office or position
acceded to the governorship
3
a
: to become added by way of growth, increase, improvement, or labor
the various improvements…had acceded to the realty and had become “fixtures”—Graham v. Henderson, 608 S.W.2d 150 (1980)
b
: to come into control or ownership of something
a trustee in bankruptcy specifically accedes to all property of the debtor—Directory Int'l, Inc. v. Bates Mfg. Co., 91 B.R. 738 (1988)

More from Merriam-Webster on accede

Nglish: Translation of accede for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of accede for Arabic Speakers

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