consequential
adjective
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Consequential dates from the 17th century and can be traced back to the Latin verb consequi, meaning "to follow along." Consequi, in turn, combines the prefix con-, meaning "through" or "with," and sequi, meaning "to follow." The English words sequel, second, and suitor are among the offspring of sequi. Henry Fielding's 1728 comedy Love in Several Masques introduced the meaning of "important" to consequential, which had until that point been used primarily in the context of results. Evidence for this usage declined temporarily in the 19th century, causing its acceptability to be questioned by such commentators as H. W. Fowler; it resurfaced in the 20th century, however, and is now considered standard.
Examples of consequential in a Sentence
Kali Holloway, Washington Post, 12 June 2026
LinkedIn is late to that party, but its version may be more consequential because B2B trust is harder to manufacture than consumer influence.
—Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
The event, which preceded the Dominican Republic’s third annual trade show in Miami, its most consequential international marketing event, was led by the minister of tourism of the Dominican Republic, David Collado.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
President Harrison also signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, the most consequential piece of antitrust legislation in History, along with the Land Revision Act, which created National Forests.
—New York Times, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for consequential
Cite this Entry
“Consequential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consequential. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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consequential
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consequential
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