consonant

American  

[kon-suh-nuhnt] / ˈkɒn sə nənt /

noun

1. Phonetics.

   1. (in English articulation) a speech sound produced by occluding with or without releasing (p, b; t, d; k, g), diverting (m, n, ng), or obstructing (f, v; s, z, etc.) the flow of air from the lungs (vowel ).

   2. (in a syllable) any sound other than the sound of greatest sonority in the syllable, as b, r, and g in brig (sonant ).

   3. (in linguistic function) a concept empirically determined as a phonological element in structural contrast with vowel, as the b of be, the w of we, the y, s, and t of yeast, etc.

2. a letter that usually represents a consonant sound.

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adjective

1. in agreement; agreeable; in accord; consistent (usually followed by to orwith ).

   behavior consonant with his character.

   Synonyms:

   congruous, concordant

2. corresponding in sound, as words.

3. harmonious, as sounds.

4. Music. constituting a consonance.

   Antonyms:

   dissonant

5. Physics. noting or pertaining to sounds exhibiting consonance.

6. consonantal.

consonant British  

/ ˈkɒnsənənt /

noun

1. a speech sound or letter of the alphabet other than a vowel; a stop, fricative, or continuant

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adjective

1. (postpositive; foll by with or to) consistent; in agreement

2. harmonious in tone or sound

3. music characterized by the presence of a consonance

4. being or relating to a consonant

Other Word Forms

• consonantlike adjective
• consonantly adverb
• unconsonant adjective

Etymology

Origin of consonant

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consona(u)nt, from Anglo-French, from Latin consonant-, stem of consonāns “sounding together,” present participle of consonāre “to sound with or together”; equivalent to con- + sonant

Example Sentences

“To supplement not having F and V and Th and M, we have consonant clusters like jl and cht … that we don’t have in English, but they can be made lower in the throat.”

From Los Angeles Times

To create an otherworldly voice, Elordi studied Tibetan throat singing and incorporated the slurred consonants caused by dentures he’d been given for the role.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even to native English speakers, the transliteration of familiar words into an alphabet with imperfectly matched consonants — lacking, for example, a precise “F” or “R” sound — can be confusing.

From Los Angeles Times

There is really no other option, dramatically speaking, or consonant with his character.

From Los Angeles Times

Her characters would crash down on consonants, as though landing a plane in the midst of an engine blowout or stretch out vowels in defiance of several laws of physics.

From Los Angeles Times