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:
It was Straus who believed legal action might keep agriculture on the peninsula and suggested the Nimans consult an attorney.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The government has now said it is considering cutting that figure to as far as 50% of all sales by the end of the decade, which it will consult on until late October.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Americans consult AI for their health whether or not the advice is trustworthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Several psychologists were available to consult with grieving children under the care of their parents, an AFP journalist saw.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
I remember Mother telling me I was on dish duty, because she was leaving for Utah after lunch to consult for another midwife on a complicated pregnancy.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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
In addition to joining local fire safety advisory boards, Cantey reached out to a mining company she consults for, which specialises in underground refuge chambers.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
“It’s a closed ecosystem,” said Kenneth Civello, a cardiologist in Baton Rouge, La., who consults for several wearables companies.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
He consults his map and for the next few days he follows the routes she has charted for him with a pencil.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
“One solution is not going to solve it for everyone, but a system of different ones hopefully will for most of them,” said Rodriguez, an architect consulted on previous Games before working with LA28.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
However the changes now being consulted on could allow car makers to sell more hybrid vehicles as a proportion of the UK's overall sales.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
This time, she instead consulted a human: her brother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Following sentencing, the Department for Health and Social Care said it would develop "proposals for formal regulation of the funeral sector", with families due to be consulted.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Jesper consulted his compass, and they turned south, seeking a path that would lead them to the main trading road.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Infosys created its yeti—partly generated by AI—to put a friendlier face on its artificial-intelligence consulting services, according to Sumit Virmani, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"When I go outside for a walk, it's quiet," Song said in her tiny room that serves as both home and consulting space.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
After consulting family, Asghedom started a group chat with Rideaux and their teams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
"Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists," Ojai Raptor Center said in a statement.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
A petite girl with long curly hair, drowning in a yellow T-shirt, is consulting a seerah book.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
