consent

1 of 2

verb

con·​sent kən-ˈsent How to pronounce consent (audio)
consented; consenting; consents

intransitive verb

1
: to give assent or approval : agree
consent to being tested
She consented to our request.
2
archaic : to be in concord in opinion or sentiment
consenter noun
consentingly adverb

consent

2 of 2

noun

1
: compliance in or approval of what is done or proposed by another : acquiescence
he shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treatiesU.S. Constitution
2
: agreement as to action or opinion
specifically : voluntary agreement by a people to organize a civil society and give authority to the government
Choose the Right Synonym for consent

assent, consent, accede, acquiesce, agree, subscribe mean to concur with what has been proposed.

assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Examples of consent in a Sentence

Verb He was reluctant at first but finally consented. refused to consent to the marriage Noun He did not give his consent for the use of his name in the advertisement. No one may use the vehicle without the consent of the owner.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Married women who were interviewed for this article agreed to be photographed only if their husband consented, and many let men speak on their behalf. Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 According to the guardian, however, Williams lacked the capacity to consent to the contract and still does. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Wendy Williams‘ legal guardian claimed that the talk show host was unable to consent to her participation in Lifetimes’ Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary that aired last month, according to an unsealed lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 Particularly dedicated fans will come together on forums such as Reddit to share their nude creations, and some stand-alone deepfake creators make money churning out abusive nude images of people who didn’t consent to appear. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024 To consent in the normal way is not merely to grant permission but to grant permission on a particular basis—perhaps a reasonable expectation of pleasure, security, or safety. Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 Valby’s and Matthews’ experiences of transracial adoption began well before TikTok and YouTube became inundated with families highlighting their adoptive children, many too young to consent to such a thing. Char Adams, NBC News, 25 Jan. 2024 Enbridge says the Bad River Band violated a 1992 agreement One of the biggest arguments made by Enbridge on Thursday was over a 1992 agreement in which, according to the fossil fuel company, the Band consented to having Line 5 on its land for 50 years. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2024 Neither had ever consented to the public display of those photographs for any reason. Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
Lawmakers also empowered state judges to order deportations to Mexico — without Mexico’s consent — and allowed local law enforcement personnel to carry out those orders. Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 Other information about the winner is released only with the winner's consent. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2024 Social workers say county lawyers have also blocked them from getting court orders to enter homes without a parent’s consent to investigate child abuse. Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Last month, Microsoft had to fix a bug in Bing that allowed the browser to automatically import tabs from Google Chrome without the user's consent. Emily Price, PCMAG, 16 Mar. 2024 In this new world, consent takes on heightened importance. Alexandru Voica, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 The vote was blocked for a second time last month by Senate Republicans when Duckworth again asked for unanimous consent. Janet Shamlian, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 Unionized actors took measures in their last contract to protect their image and likeness, such as requiring prior consent for the creation of digital replicas. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Friedlander likes that the contract addresses consent, control, compensation and transparency. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English consenten, concenten "to be in agreement, assent (to), approve, comply, connive (in a crime)," borrowed from Anglo-French cunsentir, consentir "to grant, permit, hand over, support, give in, agree" (also continental Old French), going back to Latin consentīre "to join in feeling, be in agreement, concur in opinion, (of things) be in harmony," from con- con- + sentīre "to perceive, feel, discern" — more at sense entry 1

Noun

Middle English consent, concent "agreement, approval, connivance," borrowed from Anglo-French consent, cunsent, noun derivative of cunsentir "to grant, permit, consent entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of consent was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near consent

Cite this Entry

“Consent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consent. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

consent

1 of 2 verb
con·​sent kən-ˈsent How to pronounce consent (audio)
: to express willingness or approval : agree
consenter noun

consent

2 of 2 noun
: approval of what is done or suggested

Legal Definition

consent

noun
con·​sent
1
a
: compliance in or approval of what is done or proposed by another
specifically : the voluntary agreement or acquiescence by a person of age or with requisite mental capacity who is not under duress or coercion and usually who has knowledge or understanding see also age of consent, informed consent, rape, statutory rape
b
: a defense claiming that the victim consented to an alleged crime (as rape)
2
: agreement as to action or opinion
shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treatiesU.S. Constitution art. II
a contract is formed by the consent of the partiesLouisiana Civil Code
specifically : voluntary agreement by a people to organize a civil society and give authority to a government
consent intransitive verb
consenter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on consent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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