consent

verb con·sent \ kən-ˈsent \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: consent in a Sentence

Definition of consent

consented; consenting; consents

intransitive verb

1 : to give assent or approval : agree

consent to being tested

Her father consented to the marriage.

2 archaic : to be in concord in opinion or sentiment

—

consenter

noun

—

consentingly

play \kən-ˈsen-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

See consent defined for English-language learners

See consent defined for kids

Examples of consent in a Sentence

He was reluctant at first but finally consented.
refused to consent to the marriage

Recent Examples of consent from the Web

And neighbors with a common boundary must consent to the chickens.

— michelle l. quinn, Post-Tribune, "Crown Point woman asks city council to consider letting her keep chickens 'for food, educational purposes'," 13 July 2018
From bowls and from buckets, poured from windows onto unsuspecting passerby below and between consenting dousers in village centers, water throwing on Vardavar is a holiday unique to Armenia.

— roger catlin, Smithsonian, "The Point of Armenia’s Splashy Holiday is Getting Wet," 3 July 2018
Sabraw said parents can only be detained or deported without their children if the minors are in danger or their parents have consented.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Judge Orders Trump Administration to Reunite Migrant Families Within 30 Days," 27 June 2018
The briefings will focus on what happened and changes that Facebook has made, including ending developers’ access to the data of friends of those who consent to share their information, according to another person familiar with the talks.

— Bloomberg.com, "Facebook's Zuckerberg to Break Silence as Global Scrutiny Grows," 21 Mar. 2018
Brown wrote in his letter that Betof did not provide any evidence that the undergraduate consented to the kiss.

— deirdre fernandes, BostonGlobe.com, "BU parted with its private school president over a misconduct allegation," 13 July 2018
Or the case worker gets a family to sign an order consenting to the removal.

— mary jo pitzl, Arizona Republic, "'Another set of eyes': New system is a check on DCS child removals," 1 July 2018
But even if there was a confession, murder charges likely wouldn’t be filed if authorities determined the mother solicited, aided, abetted or consented to the act that led to the fetus death, the news station reported.

— crystal hill, sacbee, "Pregnant woman had boyfriend punch her in stomach, cops say. It may not be a crime.," 29 June 2018
Ashleigh Kelly and her colleagues from University of Queensland recruited 63 Australian consenting college students (33 male and 30 female) between the ages of 18 and 33 to participate.

— brooke bunce, Teen Vogue, "Nipple Size Could Say Something About Human Evolution," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'consent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of consent

Middle English, from Anglo-French consentir, from Latin consentire, from com- + sentire to feel — more at sense

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

consent Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

consent

noun

Definition of consent

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 treaties
—U.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

See consent defined for English-language learners

Examples of consent in a Sentence

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 of consent from the Web

Some farms operate with the consent and support of First Nations, while others in the Broughton Archipelago on the northeast side of Vancouver Island have been bitterly contested.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Audit finds 70 percent of British Columbia fish-processing plants do not comply with environmental regulations," 8 July 2018
The matter of consent is especially tricky for children, who’d normally need a parent to sign off on a DNA test.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "DNA Tests Are Being Used to Reunite Separated Migrant Families," 5 July 2018
But such reorganisation requires the consent of Congress, which is typically tough to secure but nearly impossible several months before an election.

— The Economist, "Remaking the federal government," 28 June 2018
Last month, the company cracked down on apps that share users' location data without explicit consent.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "Apple bans developers from creating, selling user Contacts databases," 13 June 2018
If Trump does not consent to an interview, Mueller will have to decide whether to go forward with a historic grand jury subpoena.

— Time, "President Trump Says He Has the 'Absolute Right' to Pardon Himself," 4 June 2018
The prosecution had argued that violence was used and the 18-year-old victim didn't consent to intercourse.

— Fox News, "Protests in Spain after 5 imprisoned on lesser charge in Pamplona 'gang rape'," 26 Apr. 2018
But under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008, the companies could be fined $1,000 to $5,000 each time a person’s image is used without consent.

— Bloomberg.com, "Facebook Photo-Scanning Suit Is a Multibillion-Dollar Threat," 16 Apr. 2018
Any information that is made public on your profile can be taken without consent.

— james hetherington, Newsweek, "Facebook Data: How to Protect Your Private Information," 21 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of consent

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

consent Synonyms

Synonyms

allowance, authorization, clearance, concurrence, granting, green light, leave, license (or licence), permission, sanction, sufferance, warrant;

Antonyms

interdiction, prohibition, proscription;

Near Antonyms

denial, refusal, rejection, revocation;

injunction, veto;

deterrence, discouragement, repression, suppression;

ban, embargo, exclusion;

Related Words

imprimatur, seal, signature, stamp;

accreditation, certification;

liberty, pass;

concession, patent, permit;

tolerance, toleration;

acceptance, acquiescence, agreement, assent, OK (or okay);

accord, grant;

CONSENT Defined for English Language Learners

consent

verb

Definition of consent for English Language Learners

: to agree to do or allow something : to give permission for something to happen or be done

consent

noun

Definition of consent for English Language Learners

: permission for something to happen or be done
: agreement about an opinion or about something that will happen or be done

CONSENT Defined for Kids

consent

verb con·sent \ kən-ˈsent \

Definition of consent for Students

consented; consenting

: to express willingness or approval : agree

The mayor consented to speak at our banquet.

consent

noun

Definition of consent for Students

: approval of or agreement with what is done or suggested by another person

You must have a parent's consent to go on the trip.

Law Dictionary

consent

noun con·sent

legal Definition of consent

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