consequential
adjective
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Consequential dates from the 17th century and can be traced back to the Latin verb consequi, meaning "to follow along." Consequi, in turn, combines the prefix con-, meaning "through" or "with," and sequi, meaning "to follow." The English words sequel, second, and suitor are among the offspring of sequi. Henry Fielding's 1728 comedy Love in Several Masques introduced the meaning of "important" to consequential, which had until that point been used primarily in the context of results. Evidence for this usage declined temporarily in the 19th century, causing its acceptability to be questioned by such commentators as H. W. Fowler; it resurfaced in the 20th century, however, and is now considered standard.
Examples of consequential in a Sentence
Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 6 Sep. 2025
An English translation of the French story that was first published in 2023, the 208-page tome tells the story of the many obstacles and near-figurative deaths Lucas had to overcome in order to make what would become one of the most consequential movies in pop culture history.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
The most consequential American singer of the past 20 years, Swift can claim commercial achievements that equal or surpass those of the Beatles, Madonna, and Michael Jackson.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Unlike the First World War, which started for no good reason and was fought for even less, the American Civil War was understood by the most clear eyed Unionists and Confederates to be, from the outset, something titanic and consequential.
—Jack Sheehan
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for consequential
Cite this Entry
“Consequential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consequential. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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