1reporting verb Admit or agree that something is true after first denying or resisting it.

1. 1.1with object Admit (defeat) in a match or contest.
   reluctantly, Ellen conceded defeat

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger conceded defeat to Governor Tim Pawlenty this afternoon.
   • The advertising industry has conceded defeat in its battle to ward off statutory regulation of children's advertising.
   • The Conservatives were confident of victory but the line of red votes inched out in front and Miss Ellison conceded defeat graciously.
   • The people of Stromness conceded defeat this week at a second public meeting about the proposed ferry access walkway.
   • Their attackers had conceded defeat too promptly.
   • Milosevic lost the elections, but even two weeks later, he still refused to concede defeat.
   • Her choice was the bedroom of a tiny studio apartment half a mile from campus, and there she emerged the winner, though it was well past midnight before Jack conceded defeat.
   • Alex Barr, soon-to-be one of three head honchos of an even-bigger Big Partnership, has conceded defeat on another front.
   • And how often can you remember Bill Gates conceding defeat to little Apple?
   • Now the taxman has conceded defeat after accepting that the organisation is run by volunteers - even though it does employ some staff.
   • He wrote Ted Kennedy's famous speech at the 1980 Democratic convention when Kennedy conceded defeat to Jimmy Carter.
   • Finally, Graham conceded defeat after a few futile moments of trying to reach the memory that was dancing on the very edges of his mind.
   • But why are so many of us so ready to concede defeat?
   • As much as I hated to concede defeat, I opened the door and asked, ‘Anyone have any ideas?’
   • However, Dolan has conceded defeat in trying to lure fellow loan ranger Peter Hawkins in a permanent move from relegated Wimbledon to Bootham Crescent
   • On July 2, Thailand conceded defeat to currency speculators and let the baht float against the dollar.
   • From the beginning Killarney were eager to gain revenge on St. Declan's for a defeat they conceded to us two years ago.
   • Although markets were jittery during the day as votes in the key state of Ohio were counted, stocks were buoyed after Mr Kerry conceded defeat.
   • In the end Aunt Louise conceded defeat and left Tallulah to her own devices.
   • However, Kilmovee conceded defeat and bowed out of the competition.

   Synonyms

   capitulate, give in, surrender, yield, give up the struggle, cave in, submit, raise/show the white flag, lay down one's arms

   back down, climb down

   informal throw in the towel, throw in the sponge
2. 1.2with object Admit defeat in (a match or contest)
   they conceded the match to their opponents

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Many in the party seemed helpless before the Republican success, ready to concede the 2004 election.
   • Before his hand touched the table, though, he smacked the surface with his other hand, indicating that he conceded the match.
   • The American also conceded the match on the last green to save his opponent's torture being prolonged.
   • But in the absence of any evidence, Thune took the high road and conceded the race.
   • With three ends to go they led 23-13 and won the next end after which their opponents conceded the match.
   • Bradford conceded Saturday's match to their Yorkshire rivals, being unable to raise a team for the fixture.
   • I think it's time to concede the race and throw my support behind other weblogs.
   • It took only minutes before Karae was ready to concede the equestrianship title to Yelan.
   • A spokesman says Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed yesterday, the day her husband and John Kerry conceded the presidential race.
   • A moment later he told members of his campaign that he was ready to concede the election to Bush, which he did several minutes later over the telephone.
   • Europe started the day 10-8 behind and suffered an early blow when Thomas Bjorn was forced to concede his match against Paul Casey because of a neck injury.
   • A break of 57 proves decisive and Hendry concedes the match.
   • Fisher was, in fact, due to compete in the qualifying tournament for the men's competition, but was forced to concede her match after getting stuck in traffic in Harrogate.
   • These stars have nothing to lose and are far from conceding races to the Chasers.
   • Although Mackay won the ninth there was no way back and she conceded the match and the women's championship at the 14th.
   • Dewsbury conceded their match against Tadcaster Ladies I just before half-time when a player sustained an injury that needed hospital treatment.
   • Explain to me why you conceded the contest even as we entered this wretched place.
   • A mass pitch invasion by hundreds of Pakistani fans left a steward badly injured, and forced a team to concede a match for the first time in the history of cricket.
   • Green attempted to cover the injury without success so conceded the match which had been dominated by Hill from the start.
   • He might as well concede the election right now, or simply drop out and let President Bush run against just Ralph Nader.

2with object Surrender or yield (a possession, right, or privilege)

1. 2.1 Grant (a right, privilege, or demand)
   their rights to redress of grievances were conceded once more

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Someone ready to concede individual rights for greater safety.
   • Even when an individual right was conceded, the amendment was proclaimed a useless anachronism.
   • Without the army, the imperial government lost its nerve and conceded the radicals' demands.
   • At one point, we wait for 10 minutes to cross a road, conceding right of way to five aircraft as they taxi and take off just metres away.
   • If Cork demands are conceded, and other counties follow suit, then it would be reasonable to suggest that there will be many players constantly taking time off to train and play.
   • Britain retained their loyalty and affection by progressively conceding their demands for greater freedom and autonomy over a period of more than a century.
   • When the employer broadly conceded these demands there was nothing left to fight over.
   • Party spokesmen were shouted down, since they refused to concede these demands.
   • Religious authorities never concede rights to their followers.
   • Qualified privilege was conceded from the outset.
   • The VHP had decided to launch an agitation to get its demand conceded by the Central government.
   • ‘Naturally,’ replies Sir Humphrey, thus tacitly conceding the demand not to reveal his predecessor's mistakes.
   • In South Africa this year a ruling class which had always denied the vote to the great majority of the population was forced to concede universal suffrage at one blow.
   • The Sikhs had to agitate for nearly 15 years until their demand was conceded in 1966.
   • Hence religion has conceded preferential rights to the mother and has enjoined upon the believers to treat their mothers with special consideration.
   • The fact is that to concede a right of this nature would have ruptured Marx's vision of a communist harmony.
   • Even imperial powers that were determined to retain their empires found themselves having to concede demands for independence.
   • But the biggest present was a letter on the fax from Jack McConnell conceding her demand for an independent inquiry into the shambles of the Holyrood building.
   • Morrisons conceded the unions' demand for national negotiation.
   • Dundas, created Viscount Melville in 1802, put severe pressure on liberals while conceding some radical demands.
2. 2.2 (in sport) fail to prevent an opponent scoring (a goal or point)
   they have conceded only one goal in seven matches

   Example sentencesExamples

   • While their local rivals were scoring seven goals, York RI were on their way to conceding that amount in their 7-2 defeat by Ossett Common Rovers.
   • Since 1999, when Australia won the World Cup by conceding only one try, it has become the accepted wisdom that defence wins big matches and trophies.
   • They were back in the lead when Naas conceded a penalty right under the posts for going over the top; Flood obliging.
   • Blackburn once again converted but again Vale couldn't hold their lead and just five minutes later they lost possession at an untidy scrum and conceded a converted try.
   • He comes down from the clouds clutching his prize, only to be foiled, bottled up, either losing possession or conceding a free for over-holding.
   • York came out for the second half with fervour and threatened to sweep North away but they fell victim to losing possession and conceding penalties.
   • Saval's defence was mainly to blame for this defeat after conceding three soft goals.
   • Briscoe makes a good block to deny McKenna and concede his team's first corner of the night
   • While they don't concede goals frivolously, getting the ball in the net has become something of a luxury.
   • Nicholas English readily admitted his team conceded a couple of soft goals and said it showed the value of Brendan Cummins to the team.
   • A PENALTY conceded in the last minute denied Kendal a point on a blustery afternoon in Yorkshire.
   • The only disappointment for the Villagers was the fact they conceded a controversial converted try late on to deny them a prized clean sheet.
   • In the final minutes York might have taken the lead, but their line-out composure deserted them and, without possession, they conceded penalties which drove them back.
   • The Wallabies budget for conceding about one try a game, with Muggleton admitting it was exceptional to keep the opposition tryless.
   • The situation at the break, 1-0 ahead, was familiar to Kendal but in their three previous matches they had failed to score, conceded goals and lost.
   • It left Tadcaster a mountain to climb after the interval but to their credit they tried to make a contest of it and did well to concede only one more in the last 35 minutes.
   • A strong defensive partnership between Ellie Hargreaves and Annabel Graham at the back prevented any goals being conceded during the morning.
   • The visitors were denied when they conceded another free-kick minutes from time. The ball struck the post but the Colne attackers were quicker to react and the winner was stabbed in.
   • With a costly European defeat and nine goals conceded in two games, Strachan is already under the cosh with his first Old Firm derby looming.
   • 57 mins: Bramble dives in on Neuville and concedes a free-kick right on the edge of the Newcastle penalty area.
3. 2.3 Allow (a lead or advantage) to slip.
   he took an early lead which he never conceded

   Example sentencesExamples

   • He had never been good at talking of his emotions, conceding psychological advantage to his confessor.
   • With competition between the various institutions now razor keen, I would have imagined that none of them would want to concede advantage to the other.
   • Five minutes later, Scottish hearts sank as they conceded the lead for the first time with what turned out to be the winning goal from a penalty corner.
   • Johnson being the sole dedicated striker allowed Williamson to stretch Celtic's back three without conceding any numerical advantage to them in the centre of the field.
   • Yet after a first half in which Jim Telfer's men looked overawed by the English and conceded the advantage, they began to claw their way back into the game.
   • The Bulls conceded their points-difference advantage at the head of the standings to St Helens, who beat Halifax 40-on Friday.
   • A Shafiq Khan century enabled Haryana to bounce back from 166 for six to 285 at Rohtak, thereby conceding a lead of only 13 runs.
   • Neither Pislar nor Knittel conceded and the two raced the full 2000 metres with Knittel finally getting the better of Pislar.
   • The coach agreed that India had conceded the momentum to the hosts by their defeat in the second Test in Lahore.
   • In the end, Adam conceded the race lead to Ollie knowing fourth or above would secure an overall victory.
   • They looked the sharper and more inventive side as Instonians appeared to lose momentum after conceding their early lead.
   • He saw his players were downhearted after conceding the lead to draw against Sweden and immediately spoke to them in the dressing room to underline his optimism that they can still top their group.
   • True, his jangled nerves played tricks with his game in the final round yesterday when he conceded the lead to fellow Antipodean, Michael Campbell.
   • The Briton found his stride in the second set, going 3-clear and rarely looking like conceding his advantage.
   • The Sylvestrians who were reeling at 19 for 4 overnight, batted through to 134, conceding a lead of 125.
   • Birr had the type of start which Clarinbridge needed, particularly when they had conceded the wind advantage after losing the toss.
   • In the final, when nerves were getting the better of Pakistan, as they conceded the lead for the first time in the tourney, the skipper again came to the rescue to equalise.
   • India slumped to 285 all out, conceding a lead of 156 runs.
   • Comer will concede a height advantage on Wednesday as they have done all year.
   • We conceded the lead in a close finish and ended up losing the game.