consist
Americanverb (used without object)
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consists,
present (3rd person singular)
-
consisted,
past participle, past
-
consisting
present participle
-
to be made up or composed (usually followed byof ).
This cake consists mainly of sugar, flour, and butter.
-
to be comprised or contained (usually followed byin ).
Her charm does not consist only in her beauty.
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Archaic. to exist together or be capable of existing together.
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Obsolete. to insist; urge.
noun
verb
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(foll by of) to be composed (of); be formed (of)
syrup consists of sugar and water
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to have its existence (in); lie (in); be expressed (by)
his religion consists only in going to church
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to be compatible or consistent; accord
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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consistsimple
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consistssimple
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have consistedperfect
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has consistedperfect
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am consistingprogressive
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are consistingprogressive
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is consistingprogressive
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have been consistingperfect progressive
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has been consistingperfect progressive
Past
-
consistedsimple
-
had consistedperfect
-
was consistingprogressive
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were consistingprogressive
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had been consistingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of consist
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin consistere “to stand together, stand firm,” from con- con- + sistere “to stand, cause to stand”; see also stand, stasis, status
Explanation
Almost always used with the preposition "of," the verb consist means to be made up of, or composed of something. A heated conversation might consist of only two words: "yes" and "no." If you're talking about something that is made up of other things, consist is your word. A molecule consists of atoms and their bonds. Consist is often used in the past tense, so you're likely to hear it used in a sentence like "the game consisted of fourteen players and one stick." But you can use it in the present tense too. Grammar consists of many, many different rules, all of which are applied differently, depending on whether you're speaking or writing. The clubs all consist of singers, and singers only. If you play an instrument, look elsewhere, bud.
Vocabulary lists containing consist
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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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:
These tactics are often employed by transnational criminal groups that consist primarily of citizens from Sinaloa state in Mexico, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent said in affidavits filed in federal court last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Because plant and animal cells consist largely of water, they are relatively transparent when viewed under an ordinary light microscope.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
Total consideration will consist of about $1.89 billion cash, subject to adjustments, and $82 million in equity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Adult checkups consist of measuring vitals and doing routine tests, usually specific to your age.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
The exhibition would consist of three sets—Wallace’s top three players against Perkins’s best three.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
Sometimes called the "self network," the DMN consists of interconnected regions in the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
Private equity consists of buying companies with gigantic amounts of debt, like buying a home with a massive mortgage.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
The largest category consists of people who took out seven-year fixed-period adjustable rate mortgages in 2020.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Its cone-shaped surface consists of thousands of panels, merging support and weather protection, and serving, via steel clips, as a frame for the building’s outer stainless-steel tiles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
The second group consists of chemicals that act on the chromosomes, probably affecting the gene chemicals and causing the chromosomes to break up.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
It consisted of cumulonimbus clouds with some cells reaching relatively high intensity, according to aviation data provider AirNav Systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Six months ago, my wildest dreams consisted entirely of paying off my credit card debt and eating beef once in a while; I am very familiar with the seething rage such articles provoke.
From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026
For his thesis, he created a piece titled “Reflections on the American Dream,” 1989, that consisted of a series of images of Jackson layered with handwritten texts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
She said the training consisted of three sessions lasting around 90 minutes each.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Just as I had predicted, our tip consisted of a toothy smile and the ridiculous suggestion that we have a nice evening.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
The rap sheet, consisting of Mr. Talarico’s own words, still stings after many repetitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
All the while, another machine consisting of a motor, a cylindrical blade assembly and a conveyor belt swallowed logs into one end and delivered a stream of wood chips out the other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Previous searches for quark wakes often focused on pairs consisting of a quark and an "antiquark."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
In recent years, Fifa has used five primary international breaks during the season, all consisting of two-week gaps in March, June, September, October and November.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Most of it is underground, consisting of a network of microscopic cells called mycelium.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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