consultant

American  

[kuhn-suhl-tnt] / kənˈsʌl tnt /

noun

• consultants
  plural

1. a person who gives professional or expert advice.

   a consultant on business methods.

2. a person who consults someone or something.

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consultant British  

/ kənˈsʌltənt /

noun

1. 1. a senior physician, esp a specialist, who is asked to confirm a diagnosis or treatment or to provide an opinion

   2. a physician or surgeon holding the highest appointment in a particular branch of medicine or surgery in a hospital

2. a specialist who gives expert advice or information

3. a person who asks advice in a consultation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• consultancy
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• consultants
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of consultant

First recorded in 1690–1700; from French or directly from Latin consultant- (stem of consultāns, present participle of consultāre “to take counsel”); see origin at consult, -ant

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Explanation

A consultant is an expert in a particular field. Sometimes a business will rely on the guidance of a consultant to help change its image. How did the word consultant come about? Consult dates to the 1520s and comes from the French word consultare, meaning "take advice of." The related noun consultant, to mean someone qualified to give advice, is believed to have first appeared in an 1893 Sherlock Holmes story.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consultant consultants

“I was talking to a Republican consultant who ran one of the big super PACs and he, like, hates all of their media consultants,” Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, told me.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

The relationship between religion and state is also a decisive factor for Tami Giniger, a startup consultant who will fly home from Bangkok to vote.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

This season, his cover blown, he continues the hunt while working for the police as a consultant on individual cases.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

“The growth is there,” the Los Angeles-based consultant said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

After making a number of telephone calls, I finally located Mr. Jones in a town in England, where today he is working as a veterinary consultant.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Search consultants will then typically prepare a report that attempts to provide a big-picture perspective on a candidate, with brevity the goal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

"It doesn't change based on mood. It doesn't change based on consultants."

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Prior to cutting classes and student services, he would want to look for savings in “administrative costs, consultants, outside contracts, open positions, and construction spending.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Bosses are turning to bots and consultants to give younger workers the more helpful, frequent direction that many say they crave in their jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

In the wake of the Tet Offensive, Rand sent him briefly to D.C. to join a group of consultants advising Clark Clifford, the new secretary of defense.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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Related Words

• advisor
• expert
• specialist
• veteran

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