acceded; acceding
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
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
But if Moscow could not enforce a sphere, then on what grounds should the West have acceded?
—
Robert Kagan, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
Even when companies seemingly acceded to his wishes, many simply stalled and reversed course the moment Trump left office.
—Steven Tian, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2024
Like Johnson and Truman, Vice President John Tyler acceded to the presidency in 1841 after the president's death, in this case William Henry Harrison.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 24 July 2024
Strange to say, tired of the civil war’s constant threat of instability to a strategically important oil-producing region, the West acceded to an outcome that favored its opponents.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accede 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robert Kagan, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2022
Even when companies seemingly acceded to his wishes, many simply stalled and reversed course the moment Trump left office.
—Steven Tian, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2024
Like Johnson and Truman, Vice President John Tyler acceded to the presidency in 1841 after the president's death, in this case William Henry Harrison.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 24 July 2024
Strange to say, tired of the civil war’s constant threat of instability to a strategically important oil-producing region, the West acceded to an outcome that favored its opponents.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accede
Dictionary Entries Near accede
Cite this Entry
“Accede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accede. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
accede
intransitive verb
ac·cede
ak-ˈsēd, ik- 
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)
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)
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)
Directory Int'l, Inc. v. Bates Mfg. Co., 91 B.R. 738 (1988)Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share