cedere

Cedere is a Latin verb of the third conjugation, whose infinitive means to yield, give way, withdraw, or concede. Its principal parts are cedo, cedere, cessi, cessum. In the present active indicative the forms are cedo, cedis, ced it, cedimus, ceditis, cedunt. The verb also appears in the imperative as cede (singular) and cedite (plural), and its perfect active is cessi with the participle cessum (supine cessum is used to form some compound phrases).

Core senses and usage encompass a range from physical yielding (to yield ground or space) to abstract concessions (to concede a point, a right, or a claim). It can express retreat or departure (recedere, to withdraw) and the transfer of control or importance (cedere potestatem to yield authority). In classical Latin, cedere often occurs in phrases like cedere loco (to yield the place) or cedere fidei (to yield trust).

Derivational forms and compounds are common, including prefixes that alter meaning: accedere (to approach), concedere (to grant or concede), procedere (to proceed), recedere (to retreat), secedere (to secede). The noun forms related to ces sio/cessus appear in English loanwords and terms such as concession, cession, and recession, all drawing on the same root.

In modern usage, the verb survives in Latin grammar and in the vocabulary of Romance languages. In French, ceder (ceder in Spanish) means to yield; in Italian, cedere; in Portuguese, ceder. The English verb cede derives from Latin via Old French, illustrating the long influence of cedere on the vocabularies of many languages.