cedes

Cedes is a present-tense verb form that appears in English and in several Romance languages. In English, cedes is the third-person singular present tense of the verb cede, meaning to yield, grant, or relinquish. It is used when a subject gives up rights, powers, or territory, and it can appear in legal, political, or everyday contexts. For example: The government cedes control of the territory to the regional authorities.

In Romance languages, cedes appears as a conjugated form of the verb cedar/ceder meaning to yield. In Spanish, cedes is the second-person singular present indicative of ceder (tú cedes), meaning you yield. In Portuguese, cedes also occurs as the second-person singular present indicative (tu cedes), meaning you yield, though pronoun and formality can affect usage in continental varieties. In both languages, the form is commonly found in clauses that describe surrender, transfer of rights, or accommodation with pressure or negotiation.

Etymology traces the word back to the Latin verb cedere, meaning to go, yield, or give way. The English form cede and its third-person singular cedes entered through historical contact with Old French and other medieval sources, evolving to a standard modern English verb with a regular -s suffix for third-person singular. The core sense across languages remains the act of yielding or transferring something, whether it be rights, possessions, or authority, often in contexts of law, diplomacy, or negotiation.