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:
Janie and Joey Buss asked a judge on Friday to dismiss Jeanie Buss’ claim the family trust cannot the sell Lakers shares without her consent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
I’m not saying we would have to go to a different standard with regard to consent in criminal rape law.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
While studying the topic at university, the activist - who helped reform sexual consent education standards in Australia - came up with a campaign for change.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Any university orientation should include clear guidelines on consent and how to report sexual violence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
My sophomore year I told everyone that I was a fairy and with fairy characteristics, I fluttered out of the house without parental consent.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
He said the company is still seeking relevant licenses and legal consents, so they do not have a launch date and it "may take some time".
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
These consents, after all, are legal agreements that terminate a biological parent’s legal claim to a child and vest those rights in non-biological parents.
From Slate ● May 13, 2026
The board cited uncertainty in obtaining client consents and questioned Victory Capital’s $500 million synergy estimate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 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
However, it added that fewer families had consented for their loved ones' organs to be donated, and there had been a reduction in the number of eligible donors.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 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
That arrangement quietly splits the person who is being watched from the person who consented to the watching.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
To the majority, every detail of that contract must be knowingly consented to by all parties who might be affected.
From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026
Finally convinced, even though reluctantly, she consented to the coronation.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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
If a journalist wants an on-the-record interview with someone in Objection’s orbit, they are asked to sign an agreement consenting in advance to the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
“If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here,” the U.S. senator said during a congressional hearing.
From Slate ● Mar. 5, 2026
It’s not a Motor City miracle but just another example of the magic that happens between freely consenting consumers and producers in an open market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
No coward’s eye should light by my consenting!
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
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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.
