consonant

1 of 2

adjective

con·​so·​nant ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)nənt 

1

: being in agreement or harmony : free from elements making for discord

The decision was consonant with the company's usual practice.

2

: marked by musical consonances

consonant chords

3

: having similar sounds

consonant words

4

: relating to or exhibiting consonance : resonant

consonantly adverb

consonant

2 of 2

noun

: one of a class of speech sounds (such as \p\, \g\, \n\, \l\, \s\, \r\) characterized by constriction or closure at one or more points in the breath channel

also : a letter representing a consonant

—usually used in English of any letter except a, e, i, o, and u

Synonyms

Adjective

• balanced
• congruous
• eurythmic
• eurhythmic
• harmonic
• harmonious

Examples of consonant in a Sentence

Adjective

the temples and palaces of ancient Greece are among the most consonant buildings in architectural history

his gentle behavior is consonant with his expressed belief in pacifism

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

China remains a far cry from having the sort of labor unions and collective bargaining that are taken for granted elsewhere, but, as Steinfeld correctly argues, Chinese labor practices are moving away from their revolutionary roots and are increasingly consonant with Western standards. —Simon Tay, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2010

Where the republic’s hypocrisy fed its fatal weakness, corruption, the Taliban’s unabashed brutality was consonant with the movement’s strength, its unity. —Matthieu Aikins Victor J. Blue Peter Ganim Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 22 May 2024

Noun

Other times, dense prose or consonant heavy character names require undivided attention to maintain reading momentum. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025

The Clue: This Wordle begins and ends with consonants. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, "in conformity with," borrowed from Latin consonant-, consonans "sounding in accord, agreeing, fitting," from present participle of consonāre "to sound together, agree, be in harmony," from con- con- + sonāre "to make a noise, sound" — more at sound entry 2

Noun

Middle English consonans, consonaunte, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French consonant, borrowed from Latin consonant-, consonans (originally as modifying littera "letter"), noun derivative from present participle of consonāre "to sound together" — more at consonant entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing consonant

• consonant shift

Kids Definition

consonant

1 of 2 adjective

con·​so·​nant ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)nənt 

: being in harmony or agreement

consonantly adverb

consonant

2 of 2 noun

1

: a speech sound (as \p\, \n\, or \s\) produced by narrowing or closing the breath channel at one or more points

2

: a letter representing a consonant

especially : any letter of the English alphabet except a, e, i, o, and u

consonantal

ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈnant-ᵊl

adjective