consist

American  

[kuhn-sist, kon-sist] / kənˈsɪst, ˈkɒn sɪst /

verb (used without object)

• consists,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consisted,
  past participle,  past
• consisting
  present participle

1. to be made up or composed (usually followed byof ).

   This cake consists mainly of sugar, flour, and butter.

2. to be comprised or contained (usually followed byin ).

   Her charm does not consist only in her beauty.

3. Archaic. to exist together or be capable of existing together.

4. Obsolete. to insist; urge.

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noun

1. Railroads.

   1. the rolling stock, exclusive of the locomotive, making up a train.

   2. a record made of this rolling stock.

consist British  

/ kənˈsɪst /

verb

1. (foll by of) to be composed (of); be formed (of)

   syrup consists of sugar and water

2. to have its existence (in); lie (in); be expressed (by)

   his religion consists only in going to church

3. to be compatible or consistent; accord

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• consisting
  present
• consisted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• consist
  simple
• consists
  simple
• have consisted
  perfect
• has consisted
  perfect
• am consisting
  progressive
• are consisting
  progressive
• is consisting
  progressive
• have been consisting
  perfect progressive
• has been consisting
  perfect progressive

Past

• consisted
  simple
• had consisted
  perfect
• was consisting
  progressive
• were consisting
  progressive
• had been consisting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will consist
  simple
• will have consisted
  perfect
• will be consisting
  progressive
• will have been consisting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of consist

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin consistere “to stand together, stand firm,” from con- con- + sistere “to stand, cause to stand”; see also stand, stasis, status

Explanation

Almost always used with the preposition "of," the verb consist means to be made up of, or composed of something. A heated conversation might consist of only two words: "yes" and "no." If you're talking about something that is made up of other things, consist is your word. A molecule consists of atoms and their bonds. Consist is often used in the past tense, so you're likely to hear it used in a sentence like "the game consisted of fourteen players and one stick." But you can use it in the present tense too. Grammar consists of many, many different rules, all of which are applied differently, depending on whether you're speaking or writing. The clubs all consist of singers, and singers only. If you play an instrument, look elsewhere, bud.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consist consists consisted consisting

As well as a mayor, or local government figure, the regional bodies could consist of an independent chair, experts, and representatives to cover affected sectors like transport and agriculture.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

As a result of the hiatus, the season will consist of five episodes instead of the usual 10.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

These typically consist of a quark paired with its antimatter counterpart, the antiquark.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

The drills reportedly consist of two phases: the first, focused on defending against potential North Korean threats, was due to run until Friday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The Fayu consist of about 400 hunter-gatherers, divided into four clans and wandering over a few hundred square miles.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

From there, Saylor’s opinion consists mostly of expressions of bafflement at the idea that anyone would ever take this policy proposal seriously.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The island nation's cuisine predominantly consists of fish, vegetables, and rice - and less saturated fat than many Western diets.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

The campus consists of two five-story office buildings at 15101 and 15191 Alton Parkway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

A large share of that cellular waste consists of neutrophils, with roughly 100 billion of them needing to be cleared every day.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

It consists of three tanks on different levels.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Police say the process consisted of an application form, a people panel and external advisors.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

NBC 7 reported that the device consisted of a torch and flammable liquid.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The initial housing consisted of old military barracks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

A third group consisted of normal, unmodified mice that served as controls.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

The “tea” consisted of old leaves which had been crushed and reused so often they did little more than color the water.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Three decades ago, pension funds could generate 7.5% returns with a portfolio consisting of more than 80% of U.S. fixed income, according to Callan, which advises retirement systems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Scientists know of only one population, consisting of fewer than 50 individuals in an area smaller than a football pitch.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

According to the release, Volkswagen’s supervisory board, consisting of 20 members, unanimously approved CEO Oliver Blume’s turnaround proposal, announced in June, to strengthen the automobile maker’s competitiveness.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

The FedEx Cup play-offs have have gone through numerous iterations across their two decades, presently consisting of a three-event strokeplay series which begins with the top 70 players from the season-long points list.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

She’s wearing that principal gaze, the kind of face one might make if they’re reading an essay consisting of nothing but misspelled words.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• dwell
• subsist