consist

American  

[kuhn-sist, kon-sist] / kənˈsɪst, ˈkɒn sɪst /

verb (used without object)

• consists,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consisted,
  past participle,  past
• consisting
  present participle

1. to be made up or composed (usually followed byof ).

   This cake consists mainly of sugar, flour, and butter.

2. to be comprised or contained (usually followed byin ).

   Her charm does not consist only in her beauty.

3. Archaic. to exist together or be capable of existing together.

4. Obsolete. to insist; urge.

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noun

1. Railroads.

   1. the rolling stock, exclusive of the locomotive, making up a train.

   2. a record made of this rolling stock.

consist British  

/ kənˈsɪst /

verb

1. (foll by of) to be composed (of); be formed (of)

   syrup consists of sugar and water

2. to have its existence (in); lie (in); be expressed (by)

   his religion consists only in going to church

3. to be compatible or consistent; accord

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• consisting
  present
• consisted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• consist
  simple
• consists
  simple
• have consisted
  perfect
• has consisted
  perfect
• am consisting
  progressive
• are consisting
  progressive
• is consisting
  progressive
• have been consisting
  perfect progressive
• has been consisting
  perfect progressive

Past

• consisted
  simple
• had consisted
  perfect
• was consisting
  progressive
• were consisting
  progressive
• had been consisting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will consist
  simple
• will have consisted
  perfect
• will be consisting
  progressive
• will have been consisting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consist consists consisted consisting

Adult checkups consist of measuring vitals and doing routine tests, usually specific to your age.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

As a result of the hiatus, the season will consist of five episodes instead of the usual 10.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

These scaffolds consist of individual hydrogel microparticles that assemble into a porous structure.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

The ballroom building would consist of the large entertaining space above ground and also a security complex below ground.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

When Hazel had told him what he was to do, it had seemed to him that his task would consist of leading the dog on and persuading it to follow him.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

It consists of 20 questions, each scoring between zero and two, with a maximum score of 40.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Today, the surviving library consists of about 1,800 scrolls and scroll fragments held in collections in Italy, France and England.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

The tour currently consists of three stops in Europe but will later include U.S. shows, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

I used to joke that 95% of investing success consists of knowing what not to do.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed that “a great man represents a strategic point in the campaign of history, and part of his greatness consists of his being there.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Mostly the Murray study consisted of interviews and the filling out of pencil-and-paper personality tests.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Police say the process consisted of an application form, a people panel and external advisors.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

U.S. forces fired 60 to 70 Patriot interceptors to counter the attack, which consisted of about 20 ballistic missiles, some of the officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The state’s license plate sequence for the past 46 years has consisted of one number, followed by three letters, followed by three numbers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The class initially consisted of fourteen girls and eleven boys, a small class for the time.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

In recent years, Fifa has used five primary international breaks during the season, all consisting of two-week gaps in March, June, September, October and November.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Astronomers have generally expected that much of the gas around these young galaxies would still have been nearly pristine, consisting mostly of hydrogen and helium, the basic elements that dominated the newborn cosmos.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

That program, Nike said, includes around $1 billion of pre-tax charges, “primarily consisting of employee-related costs,” as well as roughly $300 million in severance costs recognized in the last fiscal year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

There are parts of the island you’re not allowed to photograph, “secure zones” consisting of dilapidated military buildings topped with ragged, sun-bleached Albanian flags.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

Compared to Hitler’s forces, the Polish military was primitive, consisting of a few airplanes, a few ships, and a small cavalry.

From "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps" by Andrea Warren

Related Words

• dwell
• subsist