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:
Her intervention came as the government continued to consult on how to financially support families and unpaid carers looking after ill children.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
If these two steps are not enough for you, the next step is to consult an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy law.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
It clearly says he doesn’t need to really consult widely.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
The curious may wish to consult an update, “Down With Big Business, Again,” published in 2021.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Besides, they wanted their collection in a place where ordinary citizens could consult it.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Arne Olson, a senior partner with Energy and Environmental Economics who consults on California’s energy planning, said replacing the plant with clean energy may have looked “eminently doable in 2016,” and is probably feasible today.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
He told MarketWatch that he still consults with Nicholas Galluccio, who was the portfolio manager of the fund from 2008 until Gabelli took over.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Indeed, he consults regularly with Trump on major cases, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Earl sets Camel on the edge of a car’s doorway, consults with someone inside, and then returns.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Like others whom AFP spoke to, Abu Haikal consulted a lawyer to push the army to investigate the incident fully.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
During closing arguments, Clancy's lawyer Kevin Reddington recalled that the mother had made several pleas for help before the killings and received "lousy medical care" from the doctors she consulted.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
The US Congress was not consulted before bulldozers took to the building.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
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
Francie consulted the chart and felt for the letters under the shield.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Multiple large and small businesses have spoken to the paper saying they are "demanding lower fees or moving work in-house", mounting pressure on the "Big Four" consulting firms: KPMG, Deloitte, EY and PwC.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Actually, I take that back – consulting her most devoted fans will open new frontiers for you.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
To Mike Kempe, CIO of audit and consulting firm Grant Thornton, the Gartner report comes as no surprise—but with one caveat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
“It was a good result for him. I use him as an example of people who don’t think about consulting an attorney unless you are in jail.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Rita rolls her eyes to the ceiling, as if consulting silently some deity there.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
