consultation
Americannoun
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the act of consulting; conference.
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a meeting for deliberation, discussion, or decision.
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a meeting of physicians to evaluate a patient's case and treatment.
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English Law. a writ returning a case to an ecclesiastical court from a temporal one.
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Australian. lottery.
noun
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the act or procedure of consulting
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a conference for discussion or the seeking of advice, esp from doctors or lawyers
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of consultation
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin consultātiōn-, stem of consultātiō, from consultāt(us) “deliberated” (past participle of consultāre; see consult) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A consultation is a conference or meeting at which opinions are exchanged or advice is prescribed. If one doctor says your severe blueberry allergy is cured, you might want a consultation with another doctor before indulging in the forbidden fruit. Stemming from the Latin word consultationem, which means to “consult, ask counsel of, or reflect,” a consultation usually involves a lot of questions and hopefully expert answers. Consultations happen before big decisions have to be made, such as talking with a realtor before buying a house or conferring with master yogi before attempting a head stand.
Vocabulary lists containing consultation
Aretha Franklin (1942 - 2018) Tribute List
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"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, Chapters 1–3
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The Young Man and the Sea
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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.
A consultation on the issue found 75% of parents and staff were in favour, although most pupils still wanted access to their devices during breaks.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
This call to evidence is different to a consultation that closed last month on whether to ban social media for under-16s, restrictions on addictive design features and better support for parents.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The consultation that lands Susanna in McLean lasts just 15 minutes, with the paternalistic doctor suggesting that she will be there for a “few days.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The firm said that it acted as “a result of the S&P Dow Jones Indices consultation on the treatment of Megacap companies.”
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
On the table itself, we decided on just two things: a large globe and a star chart for easy consultation with the Big Dipper and the North Star.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
