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.
Yet the war in Iran has been marked by a consistent gap between back-dated prices and 6-month futures.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
So, something that survives 25 years and is consistent, and is not changed in any fundamental way, is comforting.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Still, on the whole, Home Depot is seeing levels of demand consistent with what it saw last year, McPhail said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
I'm intrigued by the demands of the new era and feel it's consistent and coherent with the current age.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Nor, more puzzlingly, did he gain any fame or even much attention from half a century of consistent and increasingly selfless achievement.
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.
