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consultation

American  
[kon-suhl-tey-shuhn] / ˌkɒn səlˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of consulting; consulting; conference.

  2. a meeting for deliberation, discussion, or decision.

  3. a meeting of physicians to evaluate a patient's case and treatment.

  4. English Law. a writ returning a case to an ecclesiastical court from a temporal one.

  5. Australian. lottery.

consultation British  
/ ˌkɒnsəlˈteɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act or procedure of consulting

  2. a conference for discussion or the seeking of advice, esp from doctors or lawyers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • preconsultation noun
  • proconsultation adjective
  • reconsultation noun

Etymology

Origin of consultation

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin consultātiōn-, stem of consultātiō, from consultāt(us) “deliberated” (past participle of consultāre; consult ) + -iō -ion

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.

Terramation is not legal in the UK, but a consultation on the subject for the UK government by the Law Commission is due to be published imminently.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

A year long consultation by the Law Commission for the UK government which has reviewed new funerary methods, including human composting, is due to be published soon.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

In a statement, the firm said it does not comment on speculation, but it noted that any material changes to its methodology would require public consultation.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

On Thursday, Stormont's infrastructure minister launched a consultation to get the public's views on proposed law changes designed to improve the safety of children travelling to and from school by bus.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

All of this was agreed upon in consultation, mainly through notes because the consultation room was bugged.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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.