consist

play

verb con·sist \ kən-ˈsist \

Definition of consist

intransitive verb

1 :lie, reside —usually used with in

Liberty consists in the absence of obstructions …
—A. E. Housman

"In her consists my happiness … "
—William Shakespeare

2 archaic

a :exist, be

b :to be capable of existing

3 :to be composed or made up —usually used with of

Breakfast consisted of cereal, milk, and fruit.

The team consists of five players.

4 :to be consistent

it consists with the facts

See consist defined for English-language learners

See consist defined for kids

Examples of consist in a Sentence

that account consists with the information in the other reports

Origin and Etymology of consist

Middle French & Latin; Middle French consister, from Latin consistere, literally, to stop, stand still, from com- + sistere to take a stand; akin to Latin stare to stand — more at stand

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1526

See Words from the same year

consist Synonyms

Synonyms

accord, agree, answer, chord, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, check, correspond, dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme (also rime), sort, square, tally

Antonyms

differ (from), disagree (with)

Related Words

equal, match, parallel; align (also aline), line up, register

Near Antonyms

contradict, dispute, gainsay; negate, nullify; clash, conflict, jar

consist

play

noun con·sist \ ˈkän-ˌsist \

Definition of consist

:makeup or composition (as of coal sizes or a railroad train) by classes, types, or grades and arrangement

Recent Examples of consist from the Web

The data collected and reported, however, largely consist of student standardized test scores.

— jack schneider, The Atlantic, "The Urban-School Stigma," 25 Aug. 2017
It is led by two Republicans and consists of seven Republicans (four of them prominent proponents of the voter-fraud story, such as Hans von Spakovsky, a lawyer) and five hitherto obscure Democrats.

— The Economist, "The voter-fraud commission relies on some really dodgy studies," 20 July 2017
Non-interactive media consists of passive exposure to media.

— bridget davidson, ph.d., and jason jent, ph.d., miamiherald, "Screen time for young children: When and how to introduce mobile devices," 17 July 2017
The complex consists of 107 residential structures, an administration building, a community center, maintenance facility, guard house and two storage sheds, according to information provided by HUD.

— carrie napoleon, Post-Tribune, "Superfund demolition brings more questions than answers," 27 June 2017
A good burger requires good meat, and the patties at Jack Brown’s consist of 100 percent all-natural Wagyu beef (also known as American Kobe beef) from Snake River Farms in Boise, Idaho.

— AL.com, "12 essential Birmingham burgers," 20 June 2017
Typically, follow-up consists of a single phone call 30 days after a child is placed.

— justin jouvenal, Washington Post, "MS-13 gains recruits and power in U.S. as teens surge across border," 16 June 2017
The remains of Mystacodon, excavated from Peru’s Pisco Basin, consist of a partial skeleton that includes the skull, teeth, vertebrae from various places in the spine, partial forelimbs, and a hip bone.

— brian switek, Scientific American Blog Network, "New Fossil Fills in Missing Moment in Baleen Whale History," 14 June 2017
His version of luxury consists of having acres and acres of land all to yourself—truly breaking with your busy, urban existence.

— nikki ekstein, Bloomberg.com, "This New App Wants to Be the Uber of Camping," 17 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'consist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of consist

see ¹consist

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1898

See Words from the same year

CONSIST Defined for Kids

consist

play

verb con·sist \ kən-ˈsist \

Definition of consist for Students

consisted; consisting

:to be made up or composed

Coal consists mostly of carbon.

Word Root of consist

The Latin word sistere, meaning “to stand,” “to appear,” “to stop,” or “to put,” gives us the root sist. Words from the Latin sistere have something to do with standing, appearing, stopping, or putting. To assist, or help, is to stand by someone in order to give aid. To consist is to be made up of a number of thing put together. To exist, or have actual being, is to appear real. To persist is to refuse to stop doing or saying something.