consequential
Americanadjective
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following as an effect, result, or outcome; resultant; consequent.
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following as a logical conclusion or inference; logically consistent.
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of significance or importance.
His writings offer insight into his personality, opinions, and strengths, and show early evidence of the consequential man he would become.
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having important effects or results.
Being a lawyer, I knew that a consequential decision should not depend on an informal phone conversation.
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Archaic. self-important; pompous.
adjective
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important or significant
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self-important; conceited
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following as a consequence; resultant, esp indirectly
consequential loss
Usage
Although both consequential and consequent can refer to something which happens as the result of something else, consequent is more common in this sense in modern English: the new measures were put into effect, and the consequent protest led to the dismissal of those responsible
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consequential
First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin consequenti(a) “sequence (of events), logical sequence” + -al adjective suffix; see consequence, -al 1
Explanation
Things that are consequential are important — extremely important. Electing a new president and having a baby are consequential. Killing a fly? Not so much. It might help you remember the meaning of consequential to think of consequences — the results of something. Consequential events have consequences, because they are hugely important events. A little bit of rain isn't consequential, but a hurricane is very consequential. Slipping on the sidewalk is not usually consequential, but if you slip and end up in the hospital, that is definitely consequential. It's occasionally hard to tell whether something is consequential, at least until some time has passed.
Vocabulary lists containing consequential
Vocabulary from Hillary Clinton's Concession Speech, November 9, 2016
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"How the Media Twists the News"
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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.
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh called AI the "most consequential change" to the global economy in his lifetime, and said it had "a huge benefit".
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Miranda and Leigh-Anne were blissfully unaware that next door, something much more boring but ultimately more consequential was unfolding.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The aircraft carrier traveled more than 85,000 nautical miles carrying around 5,000 sailors during its 10-month deployment, described as “one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era” by U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The details around his physical condition are particularly consequential because Xi has concentrated extraordinary power in his hands while designating no successor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
If permitted to define a decade somewhat loosely, then the next decade was the most crucial and consequential in American history.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
