Definition of CONCESSIONS (original) (raw)
1
a
: the act or an instance of conceding (as by granting something as a right, accepting something as true, or acknowledging defeat)
The union will seek further concessions before accepting the contract.
b
: the admitting of a point claimed in argument
2
b
: something done or agreed to usually grudgingly in order to reach an agreement or improve a situation
The ending of the movie was changed as a concession to the American audience's sensibilities.
c(1)
: a grant of land or property especially by a government in return for services or for a particular use
(2)
: a right to undertake and profit by a specified activity
a concession to drill for oil
(3)
: a lease of a portion of premises for a particular purpose
also : the portion leased or the activities carried on
3
a
: a small business or shop where things are sold in a public place (such as a sports stadium or theater)
The theater had real Raisinets at the concession, so I got some of those, too.—
Neal Fandek
… Billie's visiting with her father, and I'm standing alone at the concession stand, buying my butterless corn.—Carrie Fisher
b
concessions plural : things sold at such a business
Spectators spend an average of $5 per game on concessions.—Jack Gallagher
Did you know?
Concession carries two very distinct meanings in English. It is commonly used to indicate something that has been conceded (as when the politician who loses a race gives a concession speech, or when someone makes a concession in an argument). In a completely different context, the word may be found in the phrase concession stand. Where does this last use come from? Were concession stands originally set up to settle arguments or elections? Hardly. The concession in concession stand denotes “a usually exclusive right to undertake and profit by a specified activity.” The phrase is first recorded in a classified ad seeking someone to work at a booth at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
Synonyms
Examples of concession in a Sentence
In the big pristine forests of the Congo Basin, governments are selling logging and mining concessions to get money … —Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2007 With him he carried a secret mandate from Prince Gauda, promising all sorts of concessions in Numidia once he was its king. —Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, (1990) 1991 We sang exactly in the same range. There was never a concession that had to be made musically because our ranges were so totally compatible. —Rosemary Clooney, quoted by Joe Smith in Off the Record, 1988 As a concession to her debility she lay on an aluminum chaise longue … —John Updike, New Yorker, 23 May 1988
We are waiting for his concession of the election. The candidate made an emotional concession speech when it was clear that he had lost. The strikers have won some important concessions from the company.
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.
Accordingly, near-term U.S. policy needs to be geared toward ratcheting up the economic pain now being felt by the Kremlin, as a way of forcing Putin and his cohort to meaningfully de-escalate and make substantive concessions to Kyiv. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025 If Trump’s musings are really aimed at bullying the Canadian government into trade concessions, then his bellicose bluster is self-defeating. —Lawrence B.a. Hatter / Made By History, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025 There’s also an on-site concession stand and full bar for those looking to snack up during their movie. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2025 Earlier this month, opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez — whom the United States and a growing number of countries view as Venezuela’s legitimate leader — had asked then-President-elect Trump not to make concessions to Maduro in exchange of accepting Venezuelan deportees. —Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for concession 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English concessyon, from Anglo-French concessioun, from Latin concession-, concessio, from concedere to concede
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of concession was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near concession
Cite this Entry
“Concession.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concession. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on concession
Last Updated: 8 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!