consistently
Americanadverb
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with no or very few exceptions; typically; usually.
We hope the new system will lead to teachers and administrators who are consistently well-prepared and well-supported, and who will continue to grow throughout their careers.
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regularly or frequently.
The museum consistently ranks as one of the top 10 children's museums in the country.
As a premier chamber music ensemble, they consistently perform to sold-out houses around the world.
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in a way that adheres to the same principles, course, form, etc..
Similarly situated employees must be treated consistently under all company policies.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consistently
Explanation
The adverb consistently describes something that's done the same way for a long time. If your mom consistently forgets to add sugar when she's baking cookies, it means you can count on inedible cookies. When something happens again and again, it happens consistently. In fact, the Latin root is consistentem, meaning "standing still." Consistently is most often used to describe something you can depend on, like consistently getting hungry right before lunch, or your dog consistently appearing by your side to cheer you up whenever you're feeling sad.
Vocabulary lists containing consistently
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"Too Young to Drive?" and "Rules of the Road"
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Ball Don't Lie
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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.
Pacing increased slightly over the study period, but it did not consistently rise as the lions went longer without food.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Tennessee Department of Correction said that it followed established protocol and that the drug has consistently been effective.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Birds in noisy environments consistently produced calls with significantly higher peak frequencies compared with those in quieter habitats, the study said.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Another reason to be optimistic: The fourth quarter has consistently delivered the strongest returns of any calendar quarter, Dow Jones Market Data showed.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 4, 2026
But the latter consistently refused to engage in good-faith negotiation.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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.
