consistent
Americanadjective
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agreeing or accordant; compatible; not self-contradictory.
His views and actions are consistent.
- Synonyms:
- conformable, harmonious, consonant, congruous
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constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc..
a consistent opponent.
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holding firmly together; cohering.
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Archaic. fixed; firm.
adjective
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showing consistency; not self-contradictory
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in agreement or harmony; accordant
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steady; even
consistent growth
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maths (of two or more equations) satisfied by at least one common set of values of the variables
x + y = 4 and x – y = 2 are consistent
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logic
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(of a set of statements) capable of all being true at the same time or under the same interpretation
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Also: sound. (of a formal system) not permitting the deduction of a contradiction from the axioms Compare complete
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obsolete stuck together; cohering
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consistent
First recorded in 1565–75, consistent is from the Latin word consistent- (stem of consistēns, present participle of consistere ); see consist, -ent
Explanation
If you get the same Donkey Kong score every time you play, you're consistent. It's consistent with video-game addiction, however, that you will continue to play in the hopes of beating that score. Consistent is related to the word consist, which refers to what something is made of—"bread dough consists of flour, water, and salt." Consistency describes texture—a consistent consistency would be brownies as rock-hard in the center as they are at the edge––hopefully, next time you bake you'll get inconsistent results.
Vocabulary lists containing consistent
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
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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.
AstraZeneca noted that the safety profile of the combination was consistent with the individual medicines, and no new safety signals were found.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He remains incredibly consistent, scoring on average 16 goals in his past four seasons at the club and he's also potentially a penalty taker now Youri Tielemans has gone to Manchester United.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
"Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards," DHS said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Overall, June’s report was consistent with the Bank of Canada’s latest assessment that underlying inflation remains close to target,” RBC Economics economist Abbey Xu said in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
One might think that Renaissance authors simply weren’t very concerned with being consistent.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
