cession

/ˈsɛʃən/

//ˈsɛʃən// noun

"cession" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cession” is uncommon English (frequency #57,931 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,931
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which is ceded.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cession · cession · English

cession · rank #57,931 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,931
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH centralize

Nearest frequency peer: centralize (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “cession”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cession” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cession
PropertyValue
Headwordcession
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɛʃən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#57,931
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cession” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cessionfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “centralize” (#57,930), “Chadian” (#57,932), “Catriona” (#57,928). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cession” is #57,931. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cession is uncommon English at frequency #57,931 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɛʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for cession in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French cession, from Latin cessionem, from past participle of cēdere (“to yield”). By surface analysis, cede + -sion. The correct English form is cession, spelled C-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which is ceded.
  2. 2
    That which is ceded.
  3. 3
    The giving up of rights, property etc. which one is entitled to.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cession appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The reinsurance company accepted a 25% cession from the direct insurer.
  2. […] Rashleigh, whose occasions frequently call him elsewhere, has generously made a cession of his rights in my favour; so that I now endeavour to prosecute alone the studies in which he used formerly to be my guide.

Etymology

From Middle French cession, from Latin cessionem, from past participle of cēdere (“to yield”). By surface analysis, cede + -sion.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cession"?
"cession" is spelled C-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛʃən/.
What does "cession" mean?
As a noun, "cession" means: That which is ceded.
How do you pronounce "cession"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cession" is /ˈsɛʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cession"?
From Middle French cession, from Latin cessionem, from past participle of cēdere (“to yield”). By surface analysis, cede + -sion. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cession", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list