Definition of CONSULTS

Confer vs. Consult

Confer and consult are very closely related in meaning, and each has senses that are synonymous with the other’s. But as is so often the case with near-synonyms, there are contexts in which one word is preferable to the other.

If you confer with someone, it is entirely possible that you will be seeking advice, but you could also simply be having a discussion (“they conferred privately before making a decision”). If you are consulting someone or something, it is more likely that you are seeking advice (“he consulted his doctor before deciding on a course of treatment”). Consult is unambiguously the correct choice when one is seeking guidance or information from a non-human source; you would consult (not confer with) a dictionary for information on a word.

The sense of confer that is concerned with giving something (as in, “education confers many benefits”) is not shared by consult.

Examples of consult in a Sentence

Verb

consult a lawyer about a business matter You should not attempt these exercises without first consulting your doctor. He made the decision without consulting me. I expect to be consulted on important decisions. I don't remember that part of the meeting; I'll have to consult my notes.

Noun

it was time for a change of do, which called for a consult with her hairdresser

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

While the technical measures mostly amount to various observations that stocks have gone up sharply this year, they are being consulted by investors who are struggling to reconcile a dizzying December swoon with a dramatic January recovery. — Amrith Ramkumar, WSJ, "Market Indicators Turn Bullish After Flashing Red Last Year," 10 Feb. 2019 The healing process is ongoing, but Lisa, who now owns her own leadership consulting firm and is married with two children, looks to the future instead of living in her past. — Megan Ditrolio, Marie Claire, "What It's Like to Grow Up in a Cult," 31 Oct. 2018 Sources: For a list of experts consulted during the preparation of this article, click here. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "Debunking Myths About United Flight 93," 10 Sep. 2018 But a Weld County District judge dismissed the motion, citing concerns about the credibility of the forensic expert consulted by the attorney, the Denver Post reported. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Colorado dad's lawyer seeks DNA samples from daughters' bodies, but judge rejects forensics expert: report," 18 Aug. 2018 The Fish and Wildlife Service is often consulted by other agencies on such plans and ever year provides tens of thousands of comments and recommendations on them, said Gary Frazer, the agency’s assistant director for ecological services. — Dan Elliott, The Seattle Times, "Governors: Trump directive could hurt effort to save bird," 14 Aug. 2018 The technology has been adopted rapidly, and now, primary care providers can be consulted by phone for about one-third of the cost of an office visit. — Hannah Holzer, sacbee, "The doctor will see you now – online. Virtual house calls offered widely in Sacramento region," 22 June 2018 McConnell consulted a few bartender buddies with equally mean science streaks, and none of them had ever attempted anything like it. — Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics, "This Mad Science Experiment Is the Key to the Perfect Mint Julep," 3 May 2019 Teams of researchers from Australia, Europe, and the United States consulted with physicians and patients (and dug through data) in an attempt to improve health care, health outcomes, and quality of life for people with PCOS. — Mary Claire Lagroue, SELF, "Can Diet and Exercise Actually Improve PCOS Symptoms?," 23 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Voters check consult information posted at a school in Kinshasa on Dec. 30, 2018, during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s general elections. — WSJ, "Photos of the Week," 4 Jan. 2019 With a rising number of teens and adolescents suffering from depression and anxiety, and too few professionals to help, remote video consults are helping pediatricians fill the gap in some communities. — Laura Landro, WSJ, "The Psychiatrist Can See Your Child Now, Virtually," 8 Jan. 2019 Parents, teens and family practitioners report high satisfaction with remote consults and appreciate their convenience and privacy. — Laura Landro, WSJ, "The Psychiatrist Can See Your Child Now, Virtually," 8 Jan. 2019 To use Block, customers fill out a questionnaire on their website and receive a video consult on the specialties of their project. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "This Renovation Start-Up Wants To Deliver Your New Bathroom To You," 17 Dec. 2018 There's a morning consult poll that showed his favorability was down, even in groups targeted, Millennials and African-Americans and so forth. — Fox News, "Larry Kudlow on where the Trump economy is headed," 8 Sep. 2018 The Consultation My consult with Dr. Kolker set me at ease. — Allure, "I Got Rhinoplasty at 25 — Here's What to Expect From a Nose Job," 7 Aug. 2018 Doctors at the hospital consult with their counterparts in the Caribbean, says Victor Blanchette, co-chairman of the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative. — Lucette Lagnado, WSJ, "Young Cancer Patients in Poor Countries Get a Boost," 26 Sep. 2018 In May, Ouskouian allegedly diagnosed a man, who has not been identified, regarding a growth on his neck in a consult room at UCI. — Madeline Farber, Fox News, "Former California college student charged after pretending to be doctor, diagnosing man, officials say," 30 Aug. 2018

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