consonant

1 of 2

adjective

con·so·nant ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)nənt

Synonyms of consonant next

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

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

: marked by musical consonances

consonant chords

: having similar sounds

consonant words

: 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

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

Her harmonic language is largely consonant, owing something to John Adams perhaps in its drawing at liberty on all seven notes of the major scale, spotlighting some pitches in a rhythmically free idiom. —

Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2023 That’s not really consonant with a sustainable civilization. —

Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2013 They were consonant with the goals of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), a bipartisan piece of federal legislation supported by both Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner and Democratic stalwart Sen. Ted Kennedy. —

Gary Marvin Davison, Star Tribune, 17 Feb. 2021 The left hand oscillates bare, somber chords, while the right hand interrupts above with the twittering of birdsong, an eerie effect which ultimately resolves with right and left hands together in full consonant harmonies. —

Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2023 These would then subside into subdued textures marked by consonant harmonies. —

Dallas News, 23 Feb. 2022 In other words, perhaps advanced economies necessarily need and foster a level of gender equality which formal polygamy is simply not consonant with? —

Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2010 The Hebrew word for the festival of lights, Hanukkah/Chanukah, consists of five Hebrew characters opening with the consonant het (chet), the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. —

Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2022 New words were introduced and new vowel and consonant sounds began to appear between roughly 500 to 700. —

Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2021

Noun

Jacksonville, the franchise that couldn’t spell Super Bowl if Vanna White hand-delivered all of the consonants, has won 12 of its past 15 games dating to last season. —

Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023 The Clue: There are way more consonants than vowels in this word. —

Erik Kain, Forbes, 1 Apr. 2023 In an article for The Conversation, George Poulos, a linguist at the University of South Africa, says that the first speech sounds came along a mere 70,000 years ago, and the ability to produce vowel and consonant sounds didn’t evolve until around 50,000 years ago. —

Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 27 Oct. 2023 His voice is so popular that there is a piece of software that purports to convert your own speech into Mr. Herzog’s baritone, complete with his sibilant Bavarian consonants and deliberately impassive delivery. —

Farran Smith Nehme, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2023 Distinct vocal mannerism: Replaces most other consonants with b or d or mn while alternating between plural and singular nouns for no reason. —

Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2023 But unlike some experimental music, there’s nothing difficult or forced here—these simple, consonant pieces unspool as naturally as thought. —

Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 28 Aug. 2023 The Clue: There are more vowels than consonants in this word. —

Erik Kain, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023 Neither, exactly; their meanings always slip from their constituent consonants and vowels, drip, puddle, cling to the roof of your mouth. —

Jason Farago, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consonant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of consonant was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century