consent

1 of 2

verb

con·​sent kən-ˈsent 

consented; consenting; consents

intransitive verb

1

: to give assent or approval : agree

consent to being tested

She consented to our request.

2

archaic : to be in concord in opinion or sentiment

consenter noun

consentingly

kən-ˈsen-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

consent

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms

Verb

• accede
• acquiesce
• agree
• assent
• come round
• subscribe

Noun

• allowance
• authorization
• clearance
• concurrence
• granting
• green light
• leave
• license
• licence
• permission
• sanction
• sufferance
• warrant

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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

Menchaca’s intention as host was to put a spin on casual dating, where women could be empowered and both parties could consent. —Allison Argueta-Claros, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023

The move came three weeks after the 46-year-old, who is facing criminal charges in Spain, defiantly rejected calls to step aside, insisting that the player had consented to the kiss. —Laura Millan Lombrana, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2023

Sometimes consent from one person on the call is enough. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2023

Moreover, if your child is old enough to consent or asks you to do it, that’s a different conversation. —Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 23 Aug. 2023

Fishman said the guardian issue was waived because Oher was 18 and his mother consented. —Adrian Sainz, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2023

New York is a one-party consent state, meaning that one party must consent to the recording of a conversation. —Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023

The researchers also included participants who had consented to having their DNA used for research by the genetic testing company 23andMe. —Usha Lee McFarling, STAT, 25 Aug. 2023

And on that visit in 1961, when the artist asked for paintings to change walls, the guards consented, but the following day collection founder Duncan Phillips came into work and switched them back straight away. —Adam Rathe, Town & Country, 24 Aug. 2023

Noun

In 2022, the Smithsonian, which includes 21 museums and the National Zoo, adopted a policy that formally authorized all of its museums to return items or remains in its collections that were collected without consent. —Nicole Dungca and Claire Healy, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023

Tucker had his players sign Tracy's pledge, an agreement to be accountable in areas of consent and repercussions for violent actions. —Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2023

Copyright owners have been on edge about their content being scraped without their consent, and the existence of Books3 confirms those fears. —Theara Coleman, The Week, 8 Sep. 2023

That means Meta can't mix together a user's data from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp services without clear consent. —Kelvin Chan, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023

But the upper chamber also has a unique culture of independence; individual senators have significant power, for instance in the capability to block unanimous consent to consider a measure. —Grace Segers, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2023

The order was requested by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and granted with the consent of defense counsel. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023

That might be because the EU has an actual strong privacy law in the General Data Protection Regulation, which doesn’t allow such sensitive data to be gathered without the individual’s explicit consent. —David Meyer, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023

Provides a structure to keep it away from people under 21 without a doctor’s consent. —Laura Johnston, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English consenten, concenten "to be in agreement, assent (to), approve, comply, connive (in a crime)," borrowed from Anglo-French cunsentir, consentir "to grant, permit, hand over, support, give in, agree" (also continental Old French), going back to Latin consentīre "to join in feeling, be in agreement, concur in opinion, (of things) be in harmony," from con- con- + sentīre "to perceive, feel, discern" — more at sense entry 1

Noun

Middle English consent, concent "agreement, approval, connivance," borrowed from Anglo-French consent, cunsent, noun derivative of cunsentir "to grant, permit, consent entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing consent

• by mutual consent
• by common consent
• common consent
• age of consent
• consent decree
• informed consent
• written consent

• by mutual consent
• by common consent
• common consent
• age of consent
• consent decree
• informed consent
• written consent

See More

Kids Definition

consent

1 of 2 verb

con·​sent kən-ˈsent 

: to express willingness or approval : agree

consenter noun

consent

2 of 2 noun

: approval of what is done or suggested

Legal Definition

consent

noun

con·​sent

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

consent intransitive verb

consenter noun