consent

[ kuhn-sent ]

verb (used without object)

1. 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.

2. Archaic. to agree in sentiment, opinion, etc.; be in harmony.

noun

1. permission, approval, or agreement; sanction; acquiescence:

   He gave his consent to the marriage.

   Synonyms: concurrence, accord

2. agreement in sentiment, opinion, a course of action, etc.:

   By common consent he was appointed official delegate.

3. Archaic. accord; concord; harmony.

consent

/ kənˈsɛnt /

verb

1. to give assent or permission (to do something); agree; accede
2. obsolete.
   intr to be in accord; agree in opinion, feelings, etc

noun

1. acquiescence to or acceptance of something done or planned by another; permission
2. accordance or harmony in opinion; agreement (esp in the phrase with one consent )
3. age of consent
   age of consent the lowest age at which the law recognizes the right of a person to consent to sexual intercourse

Derived Forms

• conˈsenter, noun
• conˈsenting, adjective

Other Words From

• con·senter noun
• con·senting·ly adverb
• noncon·sent noun
• noncon·senting adjective noun
• precon·sent noun verb (used without object)
• recon·sent verb (used without object)
• uncon·senting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of consent¹

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; consensus

Word History and Origins

Origin of consent¹

C13: from Old French consentir, from Latin consentīre to feel together, agree, from sentīre to feel

Synonym Study

See agree.

Example Sentences

On Monday, the office filed both a lawsuit against the company over the allegations and the consent decree that resolves them.

From ProPublica

Oregon’s state election director, Steve Trout, said he has been harassed on the phone and social media by people wrongly accusing him of, among other things, changing voters’ party affiliations without consent.

From ProPublica

The Cybersecurity Law, which entered into force in June of 2017, required that companies obtain consent from people to collect their personal information.

From MIT Technology Review

Such projects seek consent from participants and promise to keep the data confidential.

From MIT Technology Review

Aliens won’t ask to be taken to our leader, they’ll ask for a cheek swab and a consent form.

From Nautilus

Most often, the doctrine is invoked by minors seeking an abortion without parental consent.

From The Daily Beast

The same Pediatrics journal notes that 17 states have some form of exception to the standard parental consent requirement.

From The Daily Beast

Doctors have long wrestled with the age of consent when it comes to mature adolescents.

From The Daily Beast

Consent is manufactured—like, remember the Ebola crisis from a few weeks ago?

From The Daily Beast

They had a corollary: “Each new level of sexual activity requires consent.”

From The Daily Beast

I am therefore quite sure I shall be content to await his father's consent, should it not come these many years.

From Project Gutenberg

The woman he had felt so proudly would put Tony in his place—nodded consent!

From Project Gutenberg

All the banks in the city of New York without exception, and by common consent, stop specie payments.

From Project Gutenberg

It is therefore our duty, sir, to protect our principal, and we cannot consent to abate one jot or tittle of our rights.

From Project Gutenberg

Allcraft took care to obtain the consent of Bellamy to his arrangement.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• acquiescence
• approval
• assent
• authorization
• blessing
• compliance
• concurrence
• go ahead
• permission
• permit
• sanction
• understanding