consent
Americanverb (used without object)
-
consents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
consented,
past participle, past
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consenting
present participle
-
to permit, approve, or agree; comply or yield (often followed by to or an infinitive).
He consented to the proposal. We asked her permission, and she consented.
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Archaic. to agree in sentiment, opinion, etc.; be in harmony.
noun
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consents
plural
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permission, approval, or agreement; sanction; acquiescence.
He gave his consent to the marriage.
- Synonyms:
- concurrence, accord
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agreement in sentiment, opinion, a course of action, etc..
By common consent he was appointed official delegate.
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Archaic. accord; concord; harmony.
verb
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to give assent or permission (to do something); agree; accede
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obsolete (intr) to be in accord; agree in opinion, feelings, etc
noun
-
acquiescence to or acceptance of something done or planned by another; permission
-
accordance or harmony in opinion; agreement (esp in the phrase with one consent )
-
the lowest age at which the law recognizes the right of a person to consent to sexual intercourse
Synonym Usage
See agree.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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consenternoun
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nonconsentnoun
-
preconsentnoun
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reconsentverb (used without object)
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consentingadjective
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nonconsentingadjective
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unconsentingadjective
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consentinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
consentsimple
-
consentssimple
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have consentedperfect
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has consentedperfect
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am consentingprogressive
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are consentingprogressive
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is consentingprogressive
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have been consentingperfect progressive
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has been consentingperfect progressive
Past
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consentedsimple
-
had consentedperfect
-
was consentingprogressive
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were consentingprogressive
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had been consentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of consent
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb consenten, concenten, from Anglo-French, Old French consentir, from Latin consentīre “to join or share a feeling; concur”; noun derivative of the verb; see consensus
Explanation
Before you have surgery, you'd better give your consent, because the surgeon can't get his scalpel anywhere near your skin without first getting this permission from you. Consent is permission that can be given or taken away. On the night of the school dance, your parents might consent to extend your curfew by an hour. A homeowner who won't give a developer consent to tear down her house and build a shopping mall might finally consent after receiving a very large check from the developer.
Vocabulary lists containing consent
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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The Bill of Rights
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Common Senses: Sent, Sens ("Feel")
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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:
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said questions over a staggered age of consent have "been raised and will be discussed"
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2026
California is one of several states that require all-party consent, which means all participants in a private conversation must agree to be recorded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2026
They might as well try to do it by unanimous consent.
From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2026
Around ten of their clients have given their consent to sign this collective complaint before the CJR, the lawyers said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
The words blasting out of my mouth without my consent.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
An application has been made to the Scottish government's energy consents unit and the full planning application is expected to be submitted by the end of next year.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
But if biological mothers and fathers are constitutionally forbidden from transferring parental rights, then many adoption consents are null and void.
From Slate ● May 13, 2026
In a recent update, the company has secured five transmission planning decisions since November, and will continue to focus on securing remaining consents for its projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
And he can remain on our soil only when the sovereign — in the U.S., that’s “We the People” — consents to it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2025
He consents without a murmur, all join in a joyful chorus, and the curtain falls upon the lovers kneeling to receive Don Pedro’s blessing in attitudes of the most romantic grace.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
But some actors and crew say they have not consented to their images, voice or work to be re-purposed.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
He accused them of directly engaging "in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Although 88 agents consented to the forensic imaging of their personal phones, Robbins said none of those had been imaged at the time of the hearing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
They wrote For the People who consented to be governed by it, which includes you.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
The room was two stories high, the only whim of the architect that Esteban Trueba had consented to.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Part of the way the law fails women is through the narrative that what I’m calling “overentitlement” is actually in line with what everyone wants and is consenting to.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
These "pre-mortem" tissue samples came from consenting patients undergoing heart bypass procedures at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
In a secure and mutually consenting relationship, of course.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
He suggests Washington’s funding could require state officers “to enter separate contracts with the federal government consenting to answer suits under RLUIPA.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Before consenting to being zipped into its claustrophobic interior, he requested that prayer books be placed in the bag with him.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
