Accede

Accede is a verb with several related uses centered on agreement or arrival into a position. In its common sense, to accede means to agree or consent to a request, proposal, or demand, often with the preposition to: for example, “The committee acceded to the request.” It can also mean to comply with or yield to an offered term or condition. In a political or ceremonial sense, accede can mean to assume or obtain a position or office, such as a monarch or president.

Etymology and history: accede comes from Latin accēdere, meaning to approach or go toward, through Old French into English. Over time it broadened from the sense of approaching a decision to the sense of accepting or joining a cause, treaty, or office.

Usage notes: Accede to is the standard construction when referring to agreement with a request or proposal. When describing ascending to power, the phrase accede to the throne is idiomatic, though the more general sense in that context is to assume office or position. In international law, accession describes a state becoming a party to a treaty after its negotiation; the act is called accession, and the state “acceded to” the treaty.

Related terms: accession (the noun form referring to the act of acceding or to the moment of joining a position or agreement), and to distinguish from secede, which means to withdraw or detach oneself from an organization or alliance.

Overall, accede conveys both consent and entrance—whether agreeing to a request or joining a formal agreement or office—often used in formal or diplomatic contexts.