Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis
“Give way to resistance; by yielding you will come out the winner.”
Ovid, Ars amatoria 2.197
What does “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis” mean?
Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis translates as “Give way to resistance; by yielding you will come out the winner.”
Sometimes stepping back is the way to win.
“Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Cede | give way! | a command (imperative) of cedo, “to yield, to give way”; addressed to one person |
| repugnanti | to the one resisting | dative singular of the present participle of repugno, “I fight back, I resist”; used as a noun after cede |
| cedendo | by yielding | ablative singular of the gerund of cedo; the ablative expresses means, “by giving way” |
| victor | as the winner | nominative singular of victor, “conqueror, winner”; it describes the subject of abibis |
| abibis | you will go away, you will come out | future indicative, 2nd person singular, of abeo, “I go away” |
How to pronounce “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis”
The differences are the soft c in cede and cedendo (k versus ch), v as w versus v in victor, and the short i of the endings, which sounds a little different in each system. Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable in repugnanti, cedendo and abibis.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “yield to the one who resists; by yielding you will go away a winner”. It is advice about winning by not fighting head-on.
It comes from Ovid’s Ars amatoria (“The Art of Love”), a playful poem of advice on love written around the turn of the first century AD. In book 2 Ovid is coaching men on how to keep a partner’s affection once they have won it.
In that context the advice is about handling quarrels: do not push back against every complaint, and you will end up better off. The line is now quoted far beyond love, as a general case for strategic patience and for picking your battles.
How to use “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis”
A good fit for a motto about patience and strategy, an essay on conflict or negotiation, or a card to someone who needs to let an argument go. As a tattoo it suits people who see flexibility as strength rather than defeat.
- Latin
- Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis
- English
- Give way to resistance; by yielding you will come out the winner.
- Source
- Ovid, Ars amatoria 2.197
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- It does not mean “surrender” in a defeated sense. The point is that yielding is a way to win in the end.
- Both verb forms are fixed: cede is the singular command. To address several people, the command would be cedite.
- The semicolon matters. Cede repugnanti and cedendo victor abibis are two halves of one thought, so quoting only the first half drops the promise of victory.
- Sometimes the line is shown as a general proverb with no author. Its source is Ovid, Ars amatoria 2.197.
Questions about “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis”
What does “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis” mean literally?
“Yield to the one who resists; by yielding you will go away a winner.” Repugnanti is someone who fights back.
Who said “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis”?
The Roman poet Ovid, in his Ars amatoria (“The Art of Love”), book 2, line 197.
How do you pronounce “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis”?
In Classical Latin: KEH-deh reh-poog-NAN-tee keh-DEN-doh WIK-tor ah-BEE-bis. In Church Latin the c in cede and cedendo becomes ch and the v is a true v.
Is “Cede repugnanti; cedendo victor abibis” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is genuine Latin from a classical author. Keep the whole line with its semicolon so the meaning stays intact.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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