Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ACCEDE

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

connect today's word to others: The subreddit called Malicious Compliance is the place to post your story of that time you acceded to someone's unfair or unreasonable demands--then sat back to watch and laugh at how it all turned out, usually to the great dismay of the person issuing the demands. Stories abound there about employees acceding to their customers' unwitting demands to pay higher prices and students acq_____ing to their teachers' ill-advised instructions to share something with the whole class. (Could you recall that word, acq______? It's a synonym of accede.) You've probably got your own story to tell about acceding to someone's silly or senseless orders. When you're done laughing over that memory, let's pick the word accede apart: Its Latin roots literally mean "to go toward" someone or something. So when you're acceding to someone's demands, it's as if you're moving toward them. Keeping in mind that the "ac" part means "toward" and that the "cede" part means "go or move," see if you can explain why accede resembles the words access and accessory, as well as cede and incessant. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "ACCEDE" This word has several meanings, but these days it usually means to give in to something: to yield to something, or to obey and do what you're told. Pronunciation: "ack SEED" (or "uck SEED") Part of speech: Verb, the intransitive kind: "he acceded," "she acceded to their demands." Other forms: acceded, acceding, acceder(s) How to use it: Like its synonyms "comply" and "submit," the word "accede" is formal. So, when you need to be serious (or mock-serious), pick "accede" instead of "give in," "cave," "go along with," etc. Talk about people acceding, using acceding to someone else's pleas, requests, demands, wishes, recommendations, opinions, pressure, or influence. examples: We demanded a town hall meeting; our representative finally acceded. "After nine months, Riyadh’s tiny northern neighbour continues to bleed slowly through its reserves rather than accede to the long list of demands made of it."    —The Guardian, 5 March 2018 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "accede" without saying "fold" or "obey." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "It took (a certain amount of time) before I acceded to the pressure to (do something)." Example: "It was acutely uncool to wear shorts to middle school, but so hot in Texas. It took several weeks before I acceded to the pressure to wear jeans." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Complete the Clichés! In each issue this month, I'll present a general theme and a handful of common expressions that apply to it--but only the first few words of each expression. See if you can complete them!  To keep things interesting, I've picked a mixture of phrases both new and familiar to me. I hope some will pique your curiosity and inspire you to Google them for their meanings and backstories. (Please try that first, and if your search turns up empty, email me for help.) If you're playing this game with the kids in your family or your class, you might enjoy talking together about what the phrases mean. Enjoy! In the previous issue, the theme was "everything's just fine:" A. All wool and a... B. Cakes and... C. A chicken in every... D. The even tenor... E. I'm in fine... F. Land of... G. A place in... Answers: A. All wool and a yard wide B. Cakes and ale C. A chicken in every pot D. The even tenor of their way E. I'm in fine fettle F. Land of milk and honey G. A place in the sun Try these today. The theme is "everything is NOT just fine:" A. Abandon hope, all... B. Like a bull in...  C. To have egg... D. The enemy is at... E. Fall on stony... F. Rats abandon... review today's word: 1. The opposite of ACCEDE is A. RECHARGE. B. RECOUP. C. REFUSE. 2. Should professional athletes accede ____? A. to a hundred percent of their exorbitant salaries when hunger still runs rampant B. to their team owners' insistence on keeping political protests off the field C. as role models for young children hoping for athletic careers Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B