consultant

American  

[kuhn-suhl-tnt] / kənˈsʌl tnt /

noun

• consultants
  plural

1. a person who gives professional or expert advice.

   a consultant on business methods.

2. a person who consults someone or something.

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consultant British  

/ kənˈsʌltənt /

noun

1. 1. a senior physician, esp a specialist, who is asked to confirm a diagnosis or treatment or to provide an opinion

   2. a physician or surgeon holding the highest appointment in a particular branch of medicine or surgery in a hospital

2. a specialist who gives expert advice or information

3. a person who asks advice in a consultation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• consultancy
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• consultants
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of consultant

First recorded in 1690–1700; from French or directly from Latin consultant- (stem of consultāns, present participle of consultāre “to take counsel”); see origin at consult, -ant

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Explanation

A consultant is an expert in a particular field. Sometimes a business will rely on the guidance of a consultant to help change its image. How did the word consultant come about? Consult dates to the 1520s and comes from the French word consultare, meaning "take advice of." The related noun consultant, to mean someone qualified to give advice, is believed to have first appeared in an 1893 Sherlock Holmes story.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consultant consultants

“I was talking to a Republican consultant who ran one of the big super PACs and he, like, hates all of their media consultants,” Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, told me.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

Although a consultant determined he needed to be reviewed again in six months, he received no follow-up appointment.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The relationship between religion and state is also a decisive factor for Tami Giniger, a startup consultant who will fly home from Bangkok to vote.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

This season, his cover blown, he continues the hunt while working for the police as a consultant on individual cases.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

To their surprise, they found that the consultant they now employed to analyze CDOs for them, David Burt, enjoyed serious stature in the industry.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

"It doesn't change based on mood. It doesn't change based on consultants."

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

But boards right now appear to be more concerned with securing the leadership they have while navigating AI and economic uncertainty, pay consultants say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Prior to cutting classes and student services, he would want to look for savings in “administrative costs, consultants, outside contracts, open positions, and construction spending.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Bond-ratings firms or risk consultants could warn investors of the report’s adverse findings, said Julia Morse, a political-science professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

I find receipts for lactation and infant-sleep consultants.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

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Related Words

• advisor
• expert
• specialist
• veteran

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