consensus
Americannoun
plural
consensuses-
majority of opinion.
The consensus of the group was that they should meet twice a month.
-
general agreement or concord; harmony.
noun
Usage
Many say that the phrase consensus of opinion is redundant and hence should be avoided: The committee's statement represented a consensus of opinion. The expression is redundant, however, only if consensus is taken in the sense “majority of opinion” rather than in its equally valid and earlier sense “general agreement or concord.” Criticism of consensus of opinion has been so persistent and widespread that the phrase, even though in common use, occurs only infrequently in edited formal writing. The phrase general consensus is objected to for similar reasons. Consensus is now widely used attributively, especially in the phrase consensus politics.
Since consensus refers to a collective opinion, the words of opinion in the phrase consensus of opinion are redundant and should therefore be avoided
Etymology
Origin of consensus
First recorded in 1850–55; from Latin, from consentīre “to be in agreement, share a feeling,” from con- con- + sentīre “to feel” ( sense )
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.
The consensus was that inflation, already more than triple the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, would accelerate further.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
For the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, through Jan. 28, revenue rose 3.7% to $842.6 million, which missed the FactSet-compiled analyst consensus of $873.2 million.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
An attack against one member is deemed to be an attack against all but invoking this principle requires a consensus.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Any delivery number close to the consensus figure should be enough to keep Tesla stock stable and let investors go back to thinking about AI.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
If science is largely culturally determined, then the now familiar conclusion follows: its procedures and conclusions will reflect a purely local consensus.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
