consult
Americanverb (used with object)
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consults,
present (3rd person singular)
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consulted,
past participle, past
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consulting
present participle
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to seek advice or information from; ask guidance from.
Consult your lawyer before signing the contract.
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to refer to for information.
Consult your dictionary for the spelling of the word.
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to have regard for (a person's interest, convenience, etc.) in making plans.
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Obsolete. to meditate, plan, or contrive.
verb (used without object)
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consults,
present (3rd person singular)
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consulted,
past participle, past
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consulting
present participle
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to consider or deliberate; take counsel; confer (usually followed bywith ).
He consulted with his doctor.
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to give professional or expert advice; serve as consultant.
noun
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a consultation.
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Archaic. a secret meeting, especially one for seditious purposes.
verb
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to ask advice from (someone); confer with (someone)
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(tr) to refer to for information
to consult a map
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(tr) to have regard for (a person's feelings, interests, etc) in making decisions or plans; consider
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(intr) to make oneself available to give professional advice, esp at scheduled times and for a fee
Synonym Usage
Consult, confer imply talking over a situation or a subject with someone to decide points in doubt. To consult is to seek from a presumably qualified person or source advice, opinion, etc.: to consult an authority. To confer is to exchange views: The partners conferred concerning their business.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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consultsimple
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consultssimple
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have consultedperfect
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has consultedperfect
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am consultingprogressive
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are consultingprogressive
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is consultingprogressive
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have been consultingperfect progressive
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has been consultingperfect progressive
Past
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consultedsimple
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had consultedperfect
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was consultingprogressive
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were consultingprogressive
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had been consultingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of consult
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French consulter, from Latin consultāre “to deliberate,” literally, “to advise repeatedly,” from consulere “to advise, consider, seek advice from”; cf. consul
Explanation
To consult is to give or get help or advice. When you don't know the meaning of a word, you consult a dictionary. That's why you're here, right? People making a big decision will usually consult their family and friends. To consult can also mean a type of professional advice: a consultant is a freelance worker paid to help a business out with something. Consulting is a complicated word that can mean to give or receive advice. When in doubt, find someone you trust to consult.
Vocabulary lists containing consult
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
See Examples For:
Chandrasekaran’s predecessor, Cyrus Mistry, publicly fumed that some Tata Sons board directors would hold up board meetings to consult with Ratan Tata.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
It was Straus who believed legal action might keep agriculture on the peninsula and suggested the Nimans consult an attorney.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Anyone whose animal has been swimming or drinking from an algae-affected area and begins suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures or breathing difficulties is advised to consult a vet immediately.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Several psychologists were available to consult with grieving children under the care of their parents, an AFP journalist saw.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
“Very well. Whom do you wish to consult with?”
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
The 67-year-old breast cancer survivor, who consults on sustainable textiles and runs a small farmers market, would never have her own property sprayed with pesticides, but admits to having envied neighbors who did.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Unlike the rest of us, Tsimerman also consults AI while writing math papers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
In addition to joining local fire safety advisory boards, Cantey reached out to a mining company she consults for, which specialises in underground refuge chambers.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
“It’s a closed ecosystem,” said Kenneth Civello, a cardiologist in Baton Rouge, La., who consults for several wearables companies.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
I consider the spies I have seen, like the parsnip-nosed and hunched figure Madoc consults with sometimes, or a shadowy, gray-shrouded figure whose face I’ve never managed to spot.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Noting the ubiquity of drones on the battlefields of Ukraine and Russia, one general consulted by Mr. Cavanaugh asked, “how many senior leaders have drones in their home? Little drones they play with?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
According to the medical professionals he consulted, the likelihood that the low-grade glioma would turn into something aggressive was high and he was encouraged to treat the lesion while in its early stages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Prisoners released on licence, he said, would be subject to "very significant controls on their lives" and victims would be consulted.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Donald was tempted to return after Rams coach Sean McVay consulted him about the team’s trade for pass rusher Myles Garrett.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Tante Jans, who loved medical paraphernalia of every kind, took a tremendous fancy to the new doctor and from then on consulted him as often as her finances would permit.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Understanding who is responsible for what work and to what degree requires consulting a floor plan, a checklist and the booklet: an awkward juggling act that would have been eased by some wall labels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Damian Foks, head of consulting at Valueships, said the Harvest price hike was "a clear sign of a shift in the company's strategy from growth to monetization".
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Following the DSA internal letter, Mamdani said he would continue working with Katz, who is one of the mayor’s top advisors and received glowing coverage for his consulting work before the Platner campaign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Hanlin Tang, the CTO of neural networks at Databricks, said he has spoken with clients not in technology who have dropped the term “hill-climbing” in calls—mainly AI-forward ones in consulting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Alexandra left the room without consulting her brother.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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.
