consist
Americanverb (used without object)
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consists,
present (3rd person singular)
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consisted,
past participle, past
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consisting
present participle
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to be made up or composed (usually followed byof ).
This cake consists mainly of sugar, flour, and butter.
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to be comprised or contained (usually followed byin ).
Her charm does not consist only in her beauty.
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Archaic. to exist together or be capable of existing together.
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Obsolete. to insist; urge.
noun
verb
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(foll by of) to be composed (of); be formed (of)
syrup consists of sugar and water
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to have its existence (in); lie (in); be expressed (by)
his religion consists only in going to church
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to be compatible or consistent; accord
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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consistsimple
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consistssimple
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have consistedperfect
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has consistedperfect
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am consistingprogressive
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are consistingprogressive
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is consistingprogressive
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have been consistingperfect progressive
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has been consistingperfect progressive
Past
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consistedsimple
-
had consistedperfect
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was consistingprogressive
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were consistingprogressive
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had been consistingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of consist
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin consistere “to stand together, stand firm,” from con- con- + sistere “to stand, cause to stand”; see also stand, stasis, status
Explanation
Almost always used with the preposition "of," the verb consist means to be made up of, or composed of something. A heated conversation might consist of only two words: "yes" and "no." If you're talking about something that is made up of other things, consist is your word. A molecule consists of atoms and their bonds. Consist is often used in the past tense, so you're likely to hear it used in a sentence like "the game consisted of fourteen players and one stick." But you can use it in the present tense too. Grammar consists of many, many different rules, all of which are applied differently, depending on whether you're speaking or writing. The clubs all consist of singers, and singers only. If you play an instrument, look elsewhere, bud.
Vocabulary lists containing consist
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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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:
Overlapping action figures, posters and teddy bears also cover Martin's walls and ceilings – his collectables consist of "anything unusual", but he's mostly inspired by Hollywood.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The munitions, both German and French, consist mainly of mortar shells, along with some high-explosive anti-tank shells.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Its walls, made in a Tijuana factory, consist of plywood panels insulated with foam.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The tournament will consist of 104 matches over five weeks, held across 16 cities and three countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
An orientation should consist of visiting your classes, get-ting a tour of the facilities, and maybe meeting a few class-mates.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
The vast majority of UAE trade with Iran consists in re-exports, according to official Emirati data, including everything from phones to meat and other foodstuffs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
This list consists of seven things I think every driver should carry in their vehicle based on my own experiences.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
DNA consists of long molecular chains that carry the genetic instructions needed for life.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
The drifting “Other Plans” is so minimal that much of Ms. Bridgers’s melody line consists of a single repeated note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
For magic consists in this, the true naming of a thing.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
The men were released, and she wanted them to perform with her dance company on the outside, Figures in Flight, which consisted of a dozen teenage girls.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
One group had a genetic tendency to develop amyloid plaques, while the other consisted of "wild-type" mice that aged normally.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
The group started as a collection of blues-obsessed English youngsters and its 1964 self-titled debut record mostly consisted of tunes made famous by artists like Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
On the import side, India imported $11.7bn from the UK, and over 45% consisted of silver, which remains on India's exclusion list and is outside the agreement.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The first floor consisted of one vast room.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
“I generally do not charge a fee unless the package ends up consisting of lots of items that are not commissionable — which I try to avoid,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to make one more minor-league start, consisting of five innings and 75 pitches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Welcome to its new “AI Creator TV” channel, now available on the app’s streaming service and consisting exclusively of app-generated films and shows, along with commercials that feature “synthetic performers.”
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
The U.S.’s traditional hub-and-spoke approach to the region consisting largely of bilateral agreements leaves the Asia-Pacific lacking in uniform communications systems, radar and logistics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
In a typical galaxy, consisting of a hundred billion stars, a supernova will occur on average once every two or three hundred years.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
