concession
concession — noun
1. something you agree to give or allow someone, often reluctantly, so that a disag
something you agree to give or allow someone, often reluctantly, so that a disagreement can be settled or an agreement reached
After three hours of talks, the company made a concession and agreed to reduce working hours.
make a concession — to agree to something in a negotiation
Neither side was willing to offer any concession, so the contract negotiations fell apart.
offer a concession
The landlord offered a small concession on the rent to keep the tenant from moving out.
As a concession to local residents, the council agreed to limit construction work to daytime hours.
- compromise
a mutual agreement where both sides give something up, not one-sided
- give-and-take
more informal, suggesting a balanced exchange of concessions
- accommodation
a more formal adjustment to someone's needs or demands
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'make/offer a concession to someone' or 'as a concession to someone/something'.
常見錯誤
2. a formal statement or public act showing that you accept you have lost a contest
a formal statement or public act showing that you accept you have lost a contest, election, or argument
The losing candidate delivered a gracious concession speech on election night.
concession speech — a formal announcement of defeat in an election
Ziad's quiet admission that the other lawyer had the stronger case was a rare concession.
With a heavy sigh, the chess champion made a polite concession by tipping over his king.
The manager's concession that the project had failed came too late to save the team's reputation.
- admission
focuses on acknowledging something is true, not necessarily defeat
- acknowledgment
more formal; can refer to admitting a fact without a sense of loss
- denial
refusing to accept that something is true or that you have lost
用法筆記
Commonly used with a that-clause ('concession that...') to specify what is being admitted. Frequently occurs in the fixed phrase 'concession speech' in political contexts.
3. a special lower price charged to particular groups such as students, older peopl
a special lower price charged to particular groups such as students, older people, or children
Linh showed her student ID card and received a concession on the train ticket.
The museum offers concession rates for visitors over the age of sixty-five.
concession rate — a discounted price for a specific group
Amani bought a concession ticket for the concert because she is a full-time student.
Concession prices at the local swimming pool make it affordable for families on a tight budget.
- discount
more general term for a reduced price; used in all varieties of English
- reduced rate
slightly more formal, often used for ongoing services
- full price
the standard, undiscounted cost
用法筆記
This sense is most common in British English. In American English, 'discount' or 'reduced rate' is more typical. Often used in compound nouns: concession rate, concession ticket, concession price.
常見錯誤
4. an official right, typically from a national or regional authority, allowing a p
an official right, typically from a national or regional authority, allowing a person or company to use land or extract natural resources for a defined purpose
The government granted a mining concession to the Canadian company for a period of thirty years.
grant a [mining/oil] concession — formal permission to extract resources
Foreign oil firms competed fiercely for drilling concessions in the newly discovered offshore field.
The logging concession allowed the firm to harvest timber from the state-owned forest.
Under the terms of the land concession, the company must restore the environment after mining ends.
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the context of natural resources (mining, oil, logging, water). The grantor is typically a government, and the concession includes specific terms and conditions.
常見錯誤
5. a legal arrangement permitting someone to vend a company's goods or to operate a
a legal arrangement permitting someone to vend a company's goods or to operate a certain type of business within a particular place or region
Feng won the concession to run the coffee shop at the city's central railway station.
win the concession to [verb] — obtain the right to operate
The soft-drink manufacturer secured the main concession at all the stadiums in the region.
Dewi applied for a food concession at the summer music festival before the deadline passed.
The five-year concession agreement required the operator to maintain high hygiene standards.
用法筆記
Often interchangeable with 'franchise' in commercial contexts, though a 'concession' is usually within a larger venue (airport, train station, stadium), while a 'franchise' can be a standalone business.
常見錯誤
6. a small stand, counter, or shop where food, drinks, or other goods are sold insi
a small stand, counter, or shop where food, drinks, or other goods are sold inside a larger public venue such as a stadium, cinema, or train station
During half-time, fans lined up at the stadium concessions to buy hot dogs and soft drinks.
The cinema concession sells freshly made popcorn, nachos, and several flavours of ice cream.
cinema concession — the snack counter in a movie theatre
Anong works at a small concession near the entrance of the amusement park.
The new airport terminal has twelve concessions, including cafes, gift shops, and a book store.
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('concessions') to refer to the collection of food/drink stands at a venue. Can overlap with sense 5 — the right to operate such a stand — but sense 6 focuses on the physical location itself.
7. the food, drinks, and other items that are sold at a concession stand, especiall
the food, drinks, and other items that are sold at a concession stand, especially in a stadium, cinema, or theatre
The prices of concessions at the ballpark are surprisingly high for basic snacks.
Fans rushed to buy concessions before the championship game started.
buy concessions — purchase food and drink at a venue
The movie theatre earns most of its profit from concession sales rather than ticket sales.
A large soda at the stadium concession costs almost as much as the admission ticket itself.
- refreshments
more formal term for light food and drinks; used in British English
- snacks
informal term for small items of food eaten between meals
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural ('concessions') when referring to the items sold. This sense is most common in North American English. In British English, the terms 'refreshments' or 'snacks' are more frequent for the items themselves.