consent

verb

con·sent | \ kən-ˈsent

consented; consenting; consents

Definition of consent

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

consent

noun

Definition of consent (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from consent Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about consent

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Choose the Right Synonym for consent

Verb

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

Allen said the encounter appeared to be between two consenting adults. — CBS News, "Report: Washington state psych hospital is "like going into hell"," 6 July 2018 Canada might consent to more onerous conditions for a vehicle to be imported duty-free within NAFTA, including on wages and the amount of North American content. — The Economist, "Donald Trump stomps on Canada’s economy," 14 June 2018 Families must consent to the procedure, often while freshly grieving their loved one's death. — Jonel Aleccia, CNN, "'Rapid autopsy' races the clock to unlock mysteries of cancer," 3 May 2018 For instance, a 2016 New York statute requires that Medicaid managed care plans suppress all EOBs for minors who have consented to their own health care. — Mattie Quinn, SELF, "How to Get Birth Control and STI Testing If You’re on Your Parent’s Insurance," 5 Dec. 2018 That case has raised concerns about the implications of creating new troves of sensitive information that can be used against people who have not consented to having their genetic information tested. — Hamza Shaban, chicagotribune.com, "Ancestry service MyHeritage says 92 million customer email addresses were exposed," 5 June 2018 Participation by the bishops in investigations would be voluntary, and the commission could only access evidence held by a bishop or his diocese if the bishop consents to it, Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit told the conference. — Marisa Iati, The Seattle Times, "Bishops are conflicted about how they need to change to reduce sexual abuse," 13 Nov. 2018 However, Amazon ultimately did comply when the suspect and the owner of the Echo in the Arkansas case consented. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Amazon must give up Echo recordings in double murder case, judge rules," 10 Nov. 2018 Westmoreland’s senior lenders, who are funding the chapter 11, consented to the bonus payments before the bankruptcy filing, a person familiar with the company’s restructuring told The Wall Street Journal on Friday. — Jonathan Randles, WSJ, "Westmoreland Paid Millions in Executive Bonuses in Year Before Bankruptcy," 9 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But the prospect of getting Israel's consent, especially for a U.N. or non-U.N. armed force, remains highly unlikely. — Fox News, "UN chief: 1 option to protect Palestinians is a new force," 17 Aug. 2018 He was convicted of false imprisonment, three counts of soliciting prostitutes and two counts of capturing an intimate photo without consent. — Diana Dombrowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Ex-cop sues Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office alleging inhumane conditions in jail," 7 July 2018 Usually, children under 18 need to get consent from a parent to submit their DNA for genetic testing. — Catherine Ho, SFChronicle.com, "23andMe’s DNA-kit offer for reuniting migrant families raises privacy concerns," 22 June 2018 In the motion filed on June 15, attorneys for the children argue that ORR should, at minimum, get parental consent if possible, or that of another adult family member, before administering psychotropic medications. — Susan Carroll, Houston Chronicle, "Lawyers: Require permission before medicating immigrant children," 21 June 2018 According to CubeYou, the company never sold that data, but did get consent from users to store and share it anonymously, in accordance with Facebook’s terms at the time. — Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, "The Man Who Saw the Dangers of Cambridge Analytica Years Ago," 19 June 2018 In 2011, the Federal Trade Commission cut a deal with Facebook allowing them to operate under a consent decree that required the company to get explicit consent from users before overriding their privacy settings. — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, "What We Know About Facebook’s Latest Data Scandal," 4 June 2018 The decree barred Facebook from overriding users' privacy settings without first getting explicit consent. — Anchorage Daily News, "Facebook gave device makers deep access to data on users and friends," 4 June 2018 The arrangements raise a number of questions, among them whether Facebook failed to get the explicit consent of users before sharing their data. — Washington Post, "New Facebook privacy furor: What’s at stake?," 4 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.

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Last Updated

26 Dec 2018

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

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More Definitions for consent

consent

verb

English Language Learners Definition of consent

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

consent

noun

English Language Learners Definition of consent (Entry 2 of 2)

: permission for something to happen or be done

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

See the full definition for consent in the English Language Learners Dictionary

consent

verb

con·sent | \ kən-ˈsent

consented; consenting

Kids Definition of consent

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to express willingness or approval : agree The mayor consented to speak at our banquet.

consent

noun

Kids Definition of consent (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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.

consent

noun

con·sent

Legal Definition of consent

1a : 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 treaties — U.S. Constitution art. II a contract is formed by the consent of the parties — Louisiana Civil Code specifically : voluntary agreement by a people to organize a civil society and give authority to a government