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

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

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

While shares of the ETF no longer trade, the fund was still in the process of delisting as recently as Friday, Matt Lamb, portfolio consultant at GraniteShares, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Ramón Pagán, a cosmetic chemist and independent consultant based in New York City, sees another force helping drive tallow’s popularity: branding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

“A lot of these perks are excessive,” said Rosanna Weaver, an executive-pay consultant for the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

If the government applies to revoke the adoption orders, the court could consider several factors, said Lim Fung Peen, a consultant with Yuen Law.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

I’d rather trust a bunch of humans not to hunt a species to extinction than trust an LEP consultant, thought Mulch.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

The New York magazine story indicated that Harris was blaming political consultants for her loss in 2024.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

FIFA’s consultants projected this World Cup would add $17.2 billion to American gross domestic product.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

But to the consultants who recruited Platner, being rough around the edges was seen as asset and not a liability.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

Some consultants bill themselves as senior downsizing experts and can provide guidance in mapping out a move.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

Part consultants and part teachers, computing supervisors had to be top-notch computers themselves, capable of grasping the needs of the engineer and clearly explaining the requirements to her subordinates.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• advisor
• expert
• specialist
• veteran