consequential
Americanadjective
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following as an effect, result, or outcome; resultant; consequent.
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following as a logical conclusion or inference; logically consistent.
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of significance or importance.
His writings offer insight into his personality, opinions, and strengths, and show early evidence of the consequential man he would become.
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having important effects or results.
Being a lawyer, I knew that a consequential decision should not depend on an informal phone conversation.
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Archaic. self-important; pompous.
adjective
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important or significant
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self-important; conceited
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following as a consequence; resultant, esp indirectly
consequential loss
Usage
Although both consequential and consequent can refer to something which happens as the result of something else, consequent is more common in this sense in modern English: the new measures were put into effect, and the consequent protest led to the dismissal of those responsible
Other Word Forms
- consequentiality noun
- consequentially adverb
- consequentialness noun
- nonconsequential adjective
- nonconsequentiality noun
- nonconsequentially adverb
- nonconsequentialness noun
- quasi-consequential adjective
- quasi-consequentially adverb
Etymology
Origin of consequential
First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin consequenti(a) “sequence (of events), logical sequence” + -al adjective suffix; consequence, -al 1
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.
Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, who worked closely with Jackson during the civil rights movement, said Jackson was a "consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world".
From BBC
There was a time when Americans considered the attorney general to be one of the most distinguished, consequential appointments in government.
From Salon
“What Smith and Carlos did was so consequential because it affected them directly,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times
“Throughout her tenure, Kathy has been an extraordinary general counsel, and we are grateful for her contributions and sound advice on a wide range of consequential legal matters for the firm,” Solomon said.
She called Bonta’s new civil rights investigation “the most consequential act taken by any official in California for accountability since the fires ravaged Los Angeles.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
