consistent
Americanadjective
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agreeing or accordant; compatible; not self-contradictory.
His views and actions are consistent.
- Synonyms:
- conformable, harmonious, consonant, congruous
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constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc..
a consistent opponent.
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holding firmly together; cohering.
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Archaic. fixed; firm.
adjective
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showing consistency; not self-contradictory
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in agreement or harmony; accordant
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steady; even
consistent growth
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maths (of two or more equations) satisfied by at least one common set of values of the variables
x + y = 4 and x – y = 2 are consistent
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logic
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(of a set of statements) capable of all being true at the same time or under the same interpretation
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Also: sound. (of a formal system) not permitting the deduction of a contradiction from the axioms Compare complete
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obsolete stuck together; cohering
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of consistent
First recorded in 1565–75, consistent is from the Latin word consistent- (stem of consistēns, present participle of consistere ); see consist, -ent
Explanation
If you get the same Donkey Kong score every time you play, you're consistent. It's consistent with video-game addiction, however, that you will continue to play in the hopes of beating that score. Consistent is related to the word consist, which refers to what something is made of—"bread dough consists of flour, water, and salt." Consistency describes texture—a consistent consistency would be brownies as rock-hard in the center as they are at the edge––hopefully, next time you bake you'll get inconsistent results.
Vocabulary lists containing consistent
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We later showed one of the photos to a consultant in the UK, who said the scars looked consistent with the sort of incisions made during a kidney operation.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Plenty of successful companies have lost money for years on the road to consistent free cash flow and profitability.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
“Overall, we believe Costco’s accelerating comp growth and healthy traffic results in May should reinforce the company’s position as a defensive, consistent operator,” noted William Blair’s Phillip Bee.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Researchers reported that these benefits remained consistent regardless of whether patients had diabetes, what type of kidney disease they had, or their level of kidney function.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
In consequence, every living cell has a consistent, low level of C14—they are all very slightly radioactive, a phenomenon that Libby first observed empirically.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
