consort

American  

[kon-sawrt, kuhn-sawrt] / ˈkɒn sɔrt, kənˈsɔrt /

noun

• consorts
  plural

1. a husband or wife; spouse, especially of a reigning monarch.

2. one vessel or ship accompanying another.

3. Music.

   1. a group of instrumentalists and singers who perform music, especially old music.

   2. a group of instruments of the same family, as viols, played in concert.

4. a companion, associate, or partner.

   a confidant and consort of heads of state.

5. accord or agreement.

6. Obsolete.

   1. company or association.

   2. harmony of sounds.

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verb (used without object)

• consorts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consorted,
  past participle,  past
• consorting
  present participle

1. to associate; keep company.

   to consort with known criminals.

2. to agree or harmonize.

verb (used with object)

• consorts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consorted,
  past participle,  past
• consorting
  present participle

1. to associate, join, or unite.

2. Obsolete.

   1. to accompany; espouse.

   2. to sound in harmony.

consort British  

verb

1. to keep company (with undesirable people); associate

2. (intr) to agree or harmonize

3. rare (tr) to combine or unite

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noun

1. 1. a small group of instruments, either of the same type, such as viols, (a whole consort ) or of different types (a broken consort )

   2. ( as modifier )

      consort music

2. the husband or wife of a reigning monarch

3. a partner or companion, esp a husband or wife

4. a ship that escorts another

5. obsolete

   1. companionship or association

   2. agreement or accord

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• consorter
  noun
• consortion
  noun
• consortable
  adjective
• nonconsorting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• consorts
  plural

Participles

• consorting
  present
• consorted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• consort
  simple
• consorts
  simple
• have consorted
  perfect
• has consorted
  perfect
• am consorting
  progressive
• are consorting
  progressive
• is consorting
  progressive
• have been consorting
  perfect progressive
• has been consorting
  perfect progressive

Past

• consorted
  simple
• had consorted
  perfect
• was consorting
  progressive
• were consorting
  progressive
• had been consorting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will consort
  simple
• will have consorted
  perfect
• will be consorting
  progressive
• will have been consorting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of consort

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin consort- (stem of consors ) “sharer,” originally, “sharing” (adjective); see origin at con-, sort

Explanation

If you keep company with someone, you are consorting with them. "The students tended to consort only with other students from similar backgrounds. The staff wanted to break them out of their comfort zone, so they organized games to force them to mingle and meet new people." Consort is usually followed by the preposition with, and sometimes the verb consort is followed by the phrase "with the enemy." The military frowns on consorting with the enemy in a war. Her best friend accused her of consorting with the enemy when she walked home with another girl. As a noun, the term consort refers to the spouse of the reigning monarch. Prince Albert was called the prince consort because he was married to Queen Victoria when she ruled Great Britain.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consort consorts consorted consorting

Yet the role of a do-nothing prince consort doesn’t suit the dutiful, and now fiercely faithful, Alfred, and a war of wills—and of the sexes—ensues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026

"I want to be inspired by people like Empress consort Nam Phuong, King Khai Dinh, with their fashion style and the interaction between the West and the East," explained Phan.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

Chakrasamvara, the blue-man emblem of compassion, is being embraced by his consort, Vajravarahi, bright red symbol of wisdom, in a spectacularly explosive display whose arrested design seems intended as a spur to deep meditation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025

The next great constitutional upheaval in Britain, the Glorious Revolution of 1688, displaced King James II in favor his daughter Mary and her consort, William of Orange.

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2025

He was only a sellsword, no fit consort for a queen, and yet...

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

According to the New York Times, it chose not to pursue prosecution because it worried that some potential witnesses, be they fellow partiers or former youthful consorts, “might not have stood up well under cross-examination.”

From Slate ● Dec. 20, 2024

Male squid born between early April and mid-July grow large before starting reproduction and become consorts.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2024

Queen consorts do not formally share the sovereign’s powers, and dropping the “consort” part of the title does not change that.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2023

But the first break with tradition comes here: previously, consorts were crowned with new headpieces, created just for this moment.

From Salon ● May 5, 2023

Human midwives to deliver babies from human consorts.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

In 2022, Maxwell, who once consorted with royals, presidents and billionaires, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in helping Epstein.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2024

But he played football, consorted with the town’s bad boys, and cultivated a blustery front.

From The New Yorker ● May 2, 2016

He feuded with Harlan Ellison, collaborated with Piers Anthony and consorted with other foundational icons of the genre.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 4, 2016

They lived for a time in New York, where they consorted with the downtown art crowd of .

From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2011

My father disdained shopkeepers as unworthy and low, but he consorted with them and curried favor with the customers, hoping to overhear court gossip.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

The privilege of consorting with a fox cost more than I had already paid.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2022

At the same time, UAE officials were consorting with Barrack, the energy-rich Gulf state rewarded him by pouring millions of dollars into his business ventures.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2022

“If total resistance implies true femininity,” she shot back, “with what, pray tell, have you been consorting all your life?”

From Washington Post ● Oct. 24, 2019

Onstage, Peck is a matinee idol, with large, dark eyes, creamy skin and the mysterious expression of someone consorting with his own thoughts, but in person he is mellow and grounded.

From New York Times ● May 10, 2018

There was once a king who had three daughters, all lovely maidens, but the youngest, Psyche, excelled her sisters so greatly that beside them she seemed a very goddess consorting with mere mortals.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton