consensus
Americannoun
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majority of opinion.
The consensus of the group was that they should meet twice a month.
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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
Other Word Forms
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” ( cf. sense)
Explanation
When there's a consensus, everyone agrees on something. If you're going to a movie with friends, you need to reach a consensus about which movie everyone wants to see. Ever notice how people disagree about just about everything, from who's the best baseball player to how high taxes should be? Whenever there's disagreement, there's no consensus: consensus means everyone is on the same page. When you're talking about all the people in the world, it's hard to find a consensus on anything. There are just too many opinions. However, in a smaller group, reaching a consensus is possible.
Vocabulary lists containing consensus
Power Prefix: con-
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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The Things They Carried
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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.
Once the security establishment is won over, a consensus has to be reached among the generals along with civilian politicians in a body called the Supreme National Security Council, Iranian and Arab officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
At present, that analyst consensus for 2027 is $920 billion, which, though higher than in 2026, still shows a deceleration in the rate of growth from 84% this year to 22% next.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
By consensus, this is the most talented group of male American players ever assembled, led by lightning-quick winger Christian Pulisic, the first Yank to approach genuine stardom in a major European professional league.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
Earnings per share are expected to more than double from 2023 to 2026, with consensus calling for EPS to jump 26% year over year to $14 this year and climb another 17% next year.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
The jury was unable to reach a consensus regarding the felony murder charge, and a mistrial was declared on that count.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
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.
