consent

play

verb con·sent \ kən-ˈsent \

Definition of consent

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

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consenter

noun

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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

In January, President Trump issued an executive order, much like Sessions’s new policy, that unconstitutionally commandeers state officials and imposes new conditions on federal grants — conditions to which the cities never consented.

— ilya somin, National Review, "No More Fair-Weather Federalism," 18 Aug. 2017
And finally, there was an on-camera vote, in which Harrison—fittingly—asked each and every contestant to verbally consent to the show’s return.

— laura bradley, HWD, "The More Bachelor in Paradise Tries to Save Face, the Worse It Looks," 16 Aug. 2017
A handful of guys are bold enough to even tweet about AirDropping their private photos to strangers who don't consent to seeing them.

— hannah orenstein, Seventeen, "Beware, Creepy Dudes Are Trying to AirDrop You Dick Pics," 15 Aug. 2017
What is to stop her, or anyone of consenting age, from stepping at any moment into a parallel world of erotic gratification?

— chris bachelder, New York Times, "In ‘Mrs. Fletcher,’ Tom Perrotta Satirizes the Sex Lives of Mothers and Sons," 1 Aug. 2017
When asked if users had consented to having their credit and debit transactions shared, Google would not specifically say.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Google's shopper tracking program prompts privacy rights group to file complaint with FTC," 30 July 2017
One of the big issues is that the women reportedly believe they’re in consenting relationships with the singer.

— emma sarran webster, Allure, "What Is Sexual Grooming? 7 Things to Know About This Abuse Tactic," 19 July 2017
Mattingly consented, and Straily had a chance for the first complete game of his big-league career that began in 2012.

— steve kroner, miamiherald, "Straily nearly goes distance in gem as Marlins roll past Giants," 8 July 2017
The state agency challenged that decision, and in 2014, the 4th District Court of Appeals by a 2-1 vote reversed the lower court’s decision, concluding that the homeowners had tacitly consented to the restriction by accepting the permit.

— deborah sullivan brennan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "State Supreme Court upholds restrictions on Encinitas seawall," 6 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

consent Synonyms

Synonyms

acquiesce, agree, assent, come round, accede, subscribe

Antonyms

dissent

Related Words

adopt, embrace, espouse; abide, bear (with), endure, stand, suffer, tolerate; stomach, swallow, take; bow, knuckle under, relent, submit, succumb, yield

Near Antonyms

rebuff, refuse, reject, scorn, spurn; deny, gainsay

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

Under wiretapping or eavesdropping laws, 11 states require that all parties consent.

— paula span, New York Times, "The Appointment Ends. Now the Patient Is Listening.," 18 Aug. 2017
Legislation governing these principles differs state to state, but in California, investigators need to obtain consent from the registered vehicle owner or a warrant to get into the black box, Parent said.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "There's likely a 'black box' in your car. Here's what it records and when.," 16 Aug. 2017
After his death from cancer, Dardati got his family’s consent to keep the dogs.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "The doggy lived after falling off a bridge. But she couldn’t survive this.," 14 Aug. 2017
The federal law regulates how and when online services can collect the personal information of children under the age of 13, including the use of privacy policies and parental consent.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "These Popular Disney Apps Are Spying on Your Kids, a New Lawsuit Claims," 9 Aug. 2017
This comes less than a month after Jenner and her sister Kendall were hit with lawsuits for using photos of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. without consent of the photographers or B.I.G.’s estate.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Kylie Jenner’s Lip Logos Are Hit With Yet Another Lawsuit," 26 July 2017
Under a consent order with New York’s DFS, Deutsche Bank hired an independent monitor to regularly evaluate its efforts to improve its anti-financial crime (AFC) systems.

— edward robinson, Bloomberg.com, "Can John Cryan Save Deutsche Bank From Itself?," 25 July 2017
Cronin now has 60 days to appoint, with the advice and consent of the board, Curran's replacement, who must be a District 3 resident and of the same political party.

— gary gibula, Naperville Sun, "DuPage County Board member appointed to state Senate," 23 July 2017
But removing the dictator, who has repeatedly vowed to reclaim every inch of territory lost during the war, will be impossible without the consent of Iran and Russia.

— The Economist, "De-escalation in Syria," 19 July 2017

First Known Use of consent

14th century

consent Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

interdiction, prohibition, proscription

Related Words

imprimatur, seal, signature, stamp; accreditation, certification; liberty, pass; concession, patent, permit; tolerance, toleration; acceptance, acquiescence, agreement, assent, OK (or okay); accord, grant

Near Antonyms

denial, refusal, rejection, revocation; taboo (also tabu); injunction, veto; deterrence, discouragement, repression, suppression; ban, embargo, exclusion

CONSENT Defined for English Language Learners

consent

play

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

play

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

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

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consent

intransitive verb

—

consenter

noun

Learn More about consent

See words that rhyme with consent Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for consent Spanish Central: Translation of consent Nglish: Translation of consent for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of consent for Arabic speakers

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consent

Definition of consent

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Examples of consent in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of consent

consent Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of consent

consent

Definition of consent

Examples of consent in a Sentence

Recent Examples of consent from the Web

First Known Use of consent

consent Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to CONSENT

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CONSENT Defined for English Language Learners

consent

Definition of consent for English Language Learners

consent

Definition of consent for English Language Learners

CONSENT Defined for Kids

consent

Definition of consent for Students

consent

Definition of consent for Students

Law Dictionary

consent

legal Definition of consent

consent

consenter

Learn More about consent

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