consensus
Americannoun
plural
consensuses-
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
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” ( sense )
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.
I’m not sure we should reject the impulse to explore extreme ideas to stop global heating, since the current consensus seems to be doing next to nothing.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
But still, I’m not sure we should reject the impulse to explore extreme ideas to stop global heating, since the current consensus seems to be doing next to nothing.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
Rising consensus estimates for this year and next also point to a robust earnings outlook.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The consensus of equity analysts tracked by the company have a buy rating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The consensus in our group was that people who stayed inside weren’t being killed, but the radio had said nothing about that, and we’d agreed on it only because it made us feel better.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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.
