consent

verb

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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 She consented to our request.

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 Phrases Containing consent Learn More About consent

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 Literally me, if any of my friends would consent to matching outfits (and if any of us possessed one ounce of athletic prowess). — Emma Specter, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2022 Vladimir Putin would either consent and facilitate distribution of supplies or provoke more denunciations of Russia for its inhumanity. — Douglas J. Feith And John Hannah, WSJ, 14 Mar. 2022 People in custody cannot consent to romantic relationships with jailers due to the imbalance of power. — oregonlive, 9 Mar. 2022 In order for the bill to pass the Senate and avoid a shutdown before the March 11 deadline, all 100 senators must consent to set up a final vote. — Manu Raju, CNN, 6 Mar. 2022 Instead of threatening to shoot down Russian planes, a humanitarian airlift would force Russia either to consent or threaten to shoot down planes from nonthreatening countries full of humanitarian goods. — Douglas J. Feith And John Hannah, WSJ, 14 Mar. 2022 The next step, Vucetic said, would be for the family to come to the lab, confirm the identification, and consent to the burial — in which case there’d be one more gravestone in Srebrenica. — Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2022 Who would enforce a law about what people consent to read in their own homes? — Dan Berman, CNN, 25 Jan. 2022 City officials plan to encourage more parents to opt their children into the testing pool, but have rejected calls to require parents to opt out of random testing for their children, rather than actively consent to it. — Eliza Shapiro, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But motherhood happened to her without her consent. — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 6 May 2022 Either way, leveraging people’s computers to carry out activities without their consent is most definitely a giant no-no. — Andrew Newman, Forbes, 4 May 2022 Keke Palmer on Saturday called out a fan who filmed her without her consent after the actor declined to pose for a photo with her. — Christi Carrasstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2022 In 2016, Dulai created a joint bank account with Sarlo and, according to the filing, would use money from this account for personal spending without his consent. — Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 21 Apr. 2022 Also at the meeting, trustees approved as part of the consent a no parking ordinance on South Mitchell Avenue between West Fairview Street and Park Street. — Elizabeth Owens-schiele, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2022 The series is, of course, based on Sarah Vaughan’s 2018 bestseller probing the nature of consent via a Westminster scandal, which fortuitously came out precisely three months after the #MeToo movement first exploded. — Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2022 For her, too, the notion of consent was key to filmmaking. — Lise Pedersen, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022 The Duke awakens and becomes an active participant, but the lack of consent at the start plus Daphne attempting to force him to impregnate her ... — Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE.com, 30 Mar. 2022 See More

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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Dictionary Entries Near consent

consensus of opinion

consent

consentaneous

Statistics for consent

Last Updated

28 Apr 2022

Cite this Entry

“Consent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consent. Accessed 21 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for consent

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