consensus
noun
John Hersey
Is the phrase consensus of opinion redundant?: Usage Guide
The phrase consensus of opinion, which is not actually redundant (see sense 1a; the sense that takes the phrase is slightly older), has been so often claimed to be a redundancy that many writers avoid it. You are safe in using consensus alone when it is clear you mean consensus of opinion, and most writers in fact do so.
Synonyms
Examples of consensus in a Sentence
Antonio Ramirez, Commonweal, 12 Sept. 1997
Despite years of debate over the best wine to serve at Thanksgiving, no real consensus has emerged.
—Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 30 Nov. 1995
Beyond the general goal of sustainability, there was little consensus at the conference on how to get from here to there.
—Constance Holden, Science, 6 July 1990
… it is the consensus of opinion that the Iceni in their geographic isolation remained 'Celtic' …
—Antonia Fraser, The Warrior Queens, 1988
Everyone on the council seems to understand the need for consensus.
There is a lack of consensus among the citizens.
The decision was made by consensus.
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Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 13 Jan. 2024
Similarly, consensus odds of a U.S. recession were far too negative, remaining at 65% for most of the year, but the economy never came close to one as the labor market went from strength to strength.
—Adam Marrè, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2024
An important consensus has emerged in Taiwan on national security issues since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
—David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 10 Jan. 2024
In earlier comments to ProPublica, Priority Health had said there was initially a lack of consensus in the medical community around the treatment VanPatten needed.
—Robin Fields, ProPublica, 9 Jan. 2024
The consensus among specialists is that initiating a C-section within roughly four minutes of the mother’s death improves the infant’s chances of survival; delivering the baby also improves chances of resuscitating the mother.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
Its final consensus was that the world needs to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacity, and double energy efficiency by 2030.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2024
The consensus among industry professionals is that mortgage rates will gradually decline across 2024.
—Aly J. Yale, wsj.com, 3 Jan. 2024
The consensus is there are four really good teams in San Diego this season: Carlsbad, St. Augustine, Montgomery and Torrey Pines.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consensus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from Latin, "agreement, concord," from Latin consentīre "to join in feeling, be in agreement, concur in opinion" + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at consent entry 1
1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing consensus
Articles Related to consensus
Dictionary Entries Near consensus
Cite this Entry
“Consensus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consensus. Accessed 27 Jan. 2024.
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consensus
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on consensus
Nglish: Translation of consensus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of consensus for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about consensus
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