consensus
Americannoun
-
majority of opinion.
The consensus of the group was that they should meet twice a month.
-
general agreement or concord; harmony.
noun
Usage
Many say that the phrase consensus of opinion is redundant and hence should be avoided: The committee's statement represented a consensus of opinion. The expression is redundant, however, only if consensus is taken in the sense “majority of opinion” rather than in its equally valid and earlier sense “general agreement or concord.” Criticism of consensus of opinion has been so persistent and widespread that the phrase, even though in common use, occurs only infrequently in edited formal writing. The phrase general consensus is objected to for similar reasons. Consensus is now widely used attributively, especially in the phrase consensus politics.
Since consensus refers to a collective opinion, the words of opinion in the phrase consensus of opinion are redundant and should therefore be avoided
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consensus
First recorded in 1850–55; from Latin, from consentīre “to be in agreement, share a feeling,” from con- con- + sentīre “to feel” ( cf. sense)
Explanation
When there's a consensus, everyone agrees on something. If you're going to a movie with friends, you need to reach a consensus about which movie everyone wants to see. Ever notice how people disagree about just about everything, from who's the best baseball player to how high taxes should be? Whenever there's disagreement, there's no consensus: consensus means everyone is on the same page. When you're talking about all the people in the world, it's hard to find a consensus on anything. There are just too many opinions. However, in a smaller group, reaching a consensus is possible.
Vocabulary lists containing consensus
Power Prefix: con-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Things They Carried
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Consensus forecasts for Russell 2000 earnings have fallen 7% so far this year as of May 18, while forecasts for S&P 500 earnings have risen 8%, Sagal said.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
Consensus estimate is for a 2.1% seasonally adjusted annual growth rate, up from the BEA’s 2% advance estimate from late April.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
Consensus bottom-up earnings estimates for the S&P 500 jumped more than 10% in the past three months, at one of the fastest rates in the past two decades, UBS’ Mark Haefele highlights.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Consensus calls for Walmart to earn 66 cents a share, an 8% increase from last year and above the company’s guidance; analysts expect revenue to increase 5.6% to $174.84 billion.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Consensus of mankind as evidence, 68, 91, 210, 315.
From The Conflict of Religions in the Early Roman Empire by Glover, T. R. (Terrot Reaveley)
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.
