consul

[ kon-suhl ]
See synonyms for consul on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an official appointed by the government of one country to look after its commercial interests and the welfare of its citizens in another country.

  2. either of the two chief magistrates of the ancient Roman republic.

  1. French History. one of the three supreme magistrates of the First Republic during the period 1799–1804.

Origin of consul

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin; a derivative of consulere “to take counsel, consult”; see origin at consult

confusables note For consul

See council.

Other words from consul

  • con·su·lar, adjective
  • con·sul·ship, noun
  • sub·con·sul, noun
  • sub·con·sul·ship, noun

Words that may be confused with consul

Words Nearby consul

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use consul in a sentence

  • He was in early life a shipcarpenter, and subsequently American consul at Antwerp.

  • He was further instructed to hand over his consulate archives to the British consul, who would take charge of American interests.

    The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
  • Scarcely a year passed in which his name was not connected with some conspiracy to overthrow the First consul.

    Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
  • Thanks to Massna's warm introduction and his own reputation, he found himself cordially received by the First consul.

    Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
  • The relations between Ney and the First consul soon became closer.

    Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for consul

consul

/ (ˈkɒnsəl) /


noun
  1. an official appointed by a sovereign state to protect its commercial interests and aid its citizens in a foreign city

  2. (in ancient Rome) either of two annually elected magistrates who jointly exercised the highest authority in the republic

  1. (in France from 1799 to 1804) any of the three chief magistrates of the First Republic

Origin of consul

1
C14: from Latin, from consulere to consult

Derived forms of consul

  • consular (ˈkɒnsjʊlə), adjective
  • consulship, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012