consultation
Americannoun
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consultations
plural
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the act of consulting; conference.
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a meeting for deliberation, discussion, or decision.
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a meeting of physicians to evaluate a patient's case and treatment.
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English Law. a writ returning a case to an ecclesiastical court from a temporal one.
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Australian. lottery.
noun
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the act or procedure of consulting
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a conference for discussion or the seeking of advice, esp from doctors or lawyers
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of consultation
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin consultātiōn-, stem of consultātiō, from consultāt(us) “deliberated” (past participle of consultāre; see consult) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A consultation is a conference or meeting at which opinions are exchanged or advice is prescribed. If one doctor says your severe blueberry allergy is cured, you might want a consultation with another doctor before indulging in the forbidden fruit. Stemming from the Latin word consultationem, which means to “consult, ask counsel of, or reflect,” a consultation usually involves a lot of questions and hopefully expert answers. Consultations happen before big decisions have to be made, such as talking with a realtor before buying a house or conferring with master yogi before attempting a head stand.
Vocabulary lists containing consultation
Aretha Franklin (1942 - 2018) Tribute List
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"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, Chapters 1–3
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The Young Man and the Sea
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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:
"I think we ought to hear the voice of people there first. It's not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
"These are issues that deserve time, consultation, discussion, and respect," Macron said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
It also has the Treasury working in consultation with the U.S. defense secretary.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
And the union representative for school principals, Nicolas Bonnet, told broadcaster franceinfo that "to get out of this crisis, we will need something more than simple consultation periods".
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The door to the fortune-telling salon opened, and in walked Mrs. Annie Thayer, the pretty lady from Mr. Potter Palmer’s emporium, seeking a consultation with Madam Lucille.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
This allows any member of the military alliance to request consultations with its allies if it believes its territorial integrity or security is threatened.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Ortiz said she has spent roughly $40,000 of her savings in recent months hiring three different lawyers and on a dozen legal consultations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
There are over 1,000 senior move managers and many provide free consultations, followed by hourly fees of about $50 to $125, which could mean a total cost of $1,500 to $5,000 for a full house.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
South Korea says both sides had reached a "clear understanding" during consultations to keep the transfer confidential, citing concerns for the safety of the POWs' families in North Korea.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
It would also be a moment for last-minute consultations before I left the country.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
