cession

noun

ces·​sion ˈse-shən How to pronounce cession (audio)
Synonyms of cessionnext
: a yielding to another : concession

Synonyms of cession

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Examples of cession in a Sentence

territorial cessions from one state to another The law required cession of the land to the heirs.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
It’s being called the next she-cession. — Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 25 Nov. 2025 It should be kept in mind that the territory the cession of which is provided for is largely desert and very sparsely inhabited. — Anonymous, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2011 By early 2021, roughly two and a half million women had left the labor force, in what became known as a she-cession. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025 Polls show that a minority of Ukrainians support a peace plan that includes territorial cession, although support for such an outcome is growing. — Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cession

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin cession-, cessio, from cedere to withdraw — more at cede

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cession was in the 15th century

Rhymes for cession

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Browse Nearby Words

cessio in jure
cession
cessionaire
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Cite this Entry

“Cession.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cession. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cession

noun
ces·​sion ˈsesh-ən How to pronounce cession (audio)
: a giving over (as of territory or rights) to another

Legal Definition

cession

noun
ces·​sion ˈse-shən How to pronounce cession (audio)
1
: an act of ceding : a yielding (as of property) to another: as
a
in the civil law of Louisiana : assignment or transfer of property rights by a debtor to a creditor
b
: transfer of liability by an insurer to a reinsurer
c
: transfer of control of or sovereignty over specific property or territory especially by treaty
such district…as may, by cession of particular States…become the seat of the government of the United States—U.S. Constitution art. I
2
: the monetary amount of liability ceded by an insurer to a reinsurer compare concession

More from Merriam-Webster on cession

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cession

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