consider
Americanverb (used with object)
-
considers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
considered,
past participle, past
-
considering
present participle
-
to think carefully about, especially in order to make a decision; contemplate; reflect on.
He considered the cost before buying the new car.
- Synonyms:
- weigh, deliberate, ponder
-
to regard as or deem to be.
I consider the story improbable.
-
to think, believe, or suppose.
We consider his reply unsatisfactory.
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to bear in mind; make allowance for.
The arrest was justified if you consider his disorderly behavior.
-
to pay attention to; regard.
He considered the man for some time before speaking to him.
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to regard with respect, thoughtfulness, honor, etc.; esteem.
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to think about (something that one might do, accept, buy, etc.).
to consider a job in Guatemala.
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Obsolete. to view attentively; scrutinize.
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Obsolete. to recompense or remunerate.
verb (used without object)
-
considers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
considered,
past participle, past
-
considering
present participle
-
to think deliberately or carefully; reflect.
-
to view carefully or thoughtfully.
verb
-
(also intr) to think carefully about or ponder on (a problem, decision, etc); contemplate
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(may take a clause as object) to judge, deem, or have as an opinion
I consider him a fool
-
to have regard for; respect
consider your mother's feelings
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to look at; regard
he considered her face
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(may take a clause as object) to bear in mind as possible or acceptable
when buying a car consider this make
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to describe or discuss
in this programme we consider the traffic problem
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(may take a clause as object) to keep in mind and make allowances (for)
consider his childhood
Usage
What is a basic definition of consider? Consider means to think carefully about something, to deem one thing as being another, or to believe something. Consider has several other senses as a verb. When you are considering something, you are thinking very hard and very seriously about it, especially when you have to make a decision. The act of considering or something that is considered is called consideration.
- Real-life examples: An investor considers how risky a business is before giving money to it. Hollywood casting agencies consider many different actors and actresses for roles before choosing people. You might consider whether studying for tests will improve your grades (spoiler alert: it will).
- Used in a sentence: I didn’t consider my friend’s peanut allergy when deciding where we should eat lunch.
- Real-life examples: The Beatles are considered both a rock band and a pop group by most people. Black is not considered an appropriate color for a wedding dress. Almost everyone considers not saying “please” and “thank you” to be rude behavior.
- Used in a sentence: I don’t consider a hot dog a sandwich.
- Used in a sentence: My teacher considered my essay to be too short and made me write it again.
Synonym Usage
See study.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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considersimple
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considerssimple
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have consideredperfect
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has consideredperfect
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am consideringprogressive
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are consideringprogressive
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is consideringprogressive
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have been consideringperfect progressive
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has been consideringperfect progressive
Past
-
consideredsimple
-
had consideredperfect
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was consideringprogressive
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were consideringprogressive
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had been consideringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of consider
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consideren (from Anglo-French ) from Latin consīderāre “to examine,” equivalent to con- con- + sīder- (stem of sīdus ) “star-group, sky” ( see sidereal) + -āre infinitive suffix
Explanation
Consider is a verb that simply means to think about, look at, or judge. Consider, for a moment, the perks of house sitting for your pool-owning neighbors before you immediately refuse their request. Coming to us from the Latin word considerare, meaning “to look at closely" or "observe,” consider is a very common word that describes something you likely do multiple times a day: You probably consider what to wear in the morning, weigh your options for lunch, take into account the weather when deciding to grab your umbrella. Your life is full of consideration and you didn't even know it!
Vocabulary lists containing consider
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
See Examples For:
At least 752 people are dead in Nepal, authorities there said, while 2,500 people are missing, many of them pilgrims who were visiting lakes in the area that Hindus and Buddhists consider sacred.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
He has said he did not consider himself part of the alt-right, although he has called it "energising and exciting".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The airport is unlikely to be the last place where Tennesseans consider permanently honoring Parton.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
It is common practice for the state to consider aligning its tax code with the federal structure to make filing taxes easier and administering them more cheaply.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
“Our shows are very popular. I wonder—would you consider modeling for us in a show sometime?”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
It considers a woman’s own health, not just the baby’s, and communicates risk without shame or a heavy hand.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
Sometimes clients come to Letsch having already tried to spend down as much as they can, but she considers that a mistake.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Most items will be sold under $25, what Walmart considers an “opening price point” for its customers, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
She often considers what it would be like to stand on Titan’s surface.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
He considers Zach “as close as you can get to the standard for what a macho male teenager is at Harry S Truman High School.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
A not guilty verdict would mean Clancy went free but that is considered highly unlikely.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Because the trees take up to 50 years to reach maturity, he considered them a generational investment, one that the 60-year-old had planned to pass down to his daughter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Scientists used a new error correction strategy to encode 70 logical qubits and tackle a problem considered classically intractable.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Like many items on The Ghan’s menu, wattleseed is considered “bush food.”
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
“Oh, come on! It was just a joke!” shouted the fox, a little too dramatically, all things considered.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
That feels like a reach, considering its meager lineup of original shows.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
"Given that she stands at the apex of the Unification Church, and considering her position and role... a prison sentence is unavoidable," the court said in its ruling, Yonhap news agency reported.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
"He went to Paris St-Germain for something like 50m euros, which was a huge amount considering he had only played something like one full season in Ligue 1," said Minonzio.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
McKinney’s performance is also staggering considering he’s doing it on his main rival’s home water.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
He stood there for a bit, rubbing his chin and considering.
From "Ida B" by Katherine 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.
