The root -cede comes from Latin cedere and means “to go” or “to yield/give up.”
Core meaning
- In many English words, -cede / -ceed / -cess carry the sense of movement: going forward, back, or away (for example, “recede” = go back, “proceed” = go forward).
- They also often mean to yield, withdraw, or surrender something, especially power, rights, or territory (for example, “cede,” “concede,” “secede”).