[a. F. concession (16th c.), or ad. L. concessiōn-em, n. of action f. concess-, ppl. stem of concēdĕre to CONCEDE.]
1. The action of conceding, yielding, or granting (anything asked or required).
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), 6/1. By his concession of the violent passion his highness was transported with.
1651. Hobbes, Govt. & Soc., xvi. 282. The Right whereby the Kings did rule, was founded in the very concession of the People.
a. 1676. Hale, Comm. Law Eng. (1713) i. 8. It seems, that the Concession of these Charters was in a Parliamentary Way.
1780. Burke, Sp. Bristol, Wks. III. 371. When … I wished you to concede to America, at a time when she prayed concession at our feet.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., v. 114. In this country … civil war has been forestalled by opportune concession.
1887. Daily News, 22 Nov., 2/8. At Mark-lane there was a lack of demand, and … to have forced business some concession would have been necessary.
b. (with pl.) An act of conceding; a grant.
1611. Cotgr., Concession, a concession, grant, or granting.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), 5/2. New Concessions, which would create new Difficulties.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., I. II. 145. Liberal concessions in behalf of their religion.
1863. Bright, Sp. America, 20 March. But these concessions failed, as I believe concessions to evil always do fail.
2. Admission of a point claimed in argument; acknowledgement of the validity or justice of a proposition or idea.
In Rhet., the surrender by a disputant of a controvertible point or position, in order to ground a fresh argument thereon, or to clear the way for one of greater importance.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 242. The Apostle Paul … is content to yeeld his accusers, that, he was rude in speech … The first is true by concession onely; not in the thing: for his speech was excellent.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 42. He [Satan] endeavours to propagate the unbelief of witches, whose concession infers his coexistency.
1777. Priestley, Matt. & Spir. (1782), I. xvii. 204. The atheists of the age have been described as triumphing in my concessions.
1874. Roby, Lat. Gram., § 1625. The indicatives, licet, licebit, often introduce a concession.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 61. I double my concession: grant, along with new life sure, This same law.
3. A grant of land or other property made by a government or ruling power.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Concession, sufferance, leave, or pardon; a Grant.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 73. And so … their estates, which are nothing but concessions originally from the Crown.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer. (1783), II. 218. In this service he … received an ample concession of lands and of Indians.
1868. E. Edwards, Raleigh, I. vi. 95. To all those … large concessions of land were made.
b. A piece of land or territory so allotted.
1846. J. Taylor, Upper Canada, 98. Property, in Canada, is divided by what is called concessions … Between the concessions there are roads, called concession roads.
1883. Pall Mall G., 14 Sept., 7/1. [In Canton] a furious mob surrounded the concession, howling and threatening the destruction of all within it.
4. A right or privilege granted by government to an individual or company. [F. concession.]
1856. Edin. Rev., Jan., 264 (L.). The execution of the [Suez] canal … A Frenchman has obtained the concession; and it may be executed by French engineers and French workmen.
