consult

verb con·sult \ kən-ˈsəlt \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 2018

Examples: consult in a Sentence

Editor's Note: confer vs. consult

Definition of consult

consulted; consulting; consults

transitive verb

1 : to have regard to : consider

"Adams, consult your own safety, and don't remain here … "
—Charles Dickens

2 a : to ask the advice or opinion of

consult a doctor

consult a lawyer

b : to refer to

consult a dictionary

intransitive verb

1 : to consult an individual

consulted with experts on the matter

2 : to deliberate together : confer

… the three powers would consult on how to ameliorate the internal political conflict …
—W. S. Vucinich

3 : to serve as a consultant

—

consulter

noun

See consult defined for English-language learners

See consult defined for kids

Examples of consult in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of consult from the Web

Wimbledon consulted the players about whether the roof should be open or closed for part two of their match.

— sam farmer, courant.com, "Djokovic Wins Another Marathon, Defeating Nadal In Wimbledon Semifinal," 14 July 2018
The park consulted with the Center for Great Apes, a non-profit great-ape sanctuary in Central Florida, to move Mei for surgery.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Monkey Jungle has reopened. Here is what has happened since the animal-abuse allegations.," 12 July 2018
The women who were brought to the Dilley detention center could consult with pro bono legal advocates, like Sarah.

— faith e. pinho, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis attorney returns from border with stories she could not 'fathom'," 12 July 2018
According to Scott Badesch, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America, who spoke with the Press, patients should consult with a doctor before using medical marijuana for treatment.

— erin corbett, Fortune, "Michigan Approves 11 New Conditions for Medical Marijuana Treatment," 11 July 2018
No president has ever consulted more widely or talked with more people from more backgrounds to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination.

— olivia b. waxman, Time, "5 Reasons Why Supreme Court Nominations Have Failed," 10 July 2018
The agency consulted employees, who spent a month working remotely on their cases.

— meredith cohn, baltimoresun.com, "What happens to the sites of mass shootings depends on where and what they are," 10 July 2018
No president has ever consulted more widely...to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination, Kavanaugh said.

— CBS News, "Judge Brett Kavanaugh named Trump's second Supreme Court justice - live updates," 9 July 2018
Not consulting them about the pension reform was a step too far.

— mary anastasia o’grady, WSJ, "Russia in Central America, Again," 8 July 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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of consult

Middle French or Latin; Middle French consulter, from Latin consultare, frequentative of consulere to deliberate, counsel, consult

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1527

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

consult Synonyms

Synonyms

advise, confab, confabulate, confer, counsel, parley, powwow, treat;

rehash;

coach, guide, tutor;

recommend, suggest;

direct, refer (to);

consult

noun con·sult \ kən-ˈsəlt , ˈkän-ˌsəlt \

Definition of consult

: consultation

Examples of consult in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of consult from the Web

Mayor Jacob Frey has called for the release of body camera footage after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension completes interviews with key witnesses and consults with the family.

— youssef rddad, The Seattle Times, "Family: Minneapolis police shooting not justified as man ran," 9 July 2018
If the president consults and cooperates with the Senate, or moderates his selections absent consultation, then his nominees may enjoy my support as did Justices Kennedy and Souter.

— NBC News, "McConnell went 'nuclear' to confirm Gorsuch. But Democrats changed Senate filibuster rules first.," 28 June 2018
Its services range from digital urgent care to virtual visits for follow-up appointments to peer-to-peer consults between physicians.

— steven j. corwin, Recode, "Let’s make telemedicine available to all," 25 June 2018
To screen or not to screen for prostate cancer is a question that men aged 55 to 69 should decide themselves in consult with their doctors, according to finalized guidance from an influential panel of health care experts.

— kristen jordan shamus, Detroit Free Press, "Prostate cancer screening: Should you or shouldn't you?," 8 May 2018
There will be plenty of laughs, door prizes and imprompu design consults during the evening.

— Cincinnati.com, "Win Tickets to The Scott Brothers' House Party," 23 Aug. 2017
Think of sharing your plans as a courtesy, not a consult.

— carolyn hax, Detroit Free Press, "Hitting the pause button on a good relationship," 8 May 2018
For specifics on that program, consult Bill Belichick.

— scott ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Sunday Punch: Sexy thoughts, cheap shots & bon mots," 5 May 2018
Jeff Green leaned on Kyle Korver to change his 3-point fortunes Green consults, who else, Korver Jeff Green posted a season-high 33 points and connected on 5-of-6 3-pointers.

— joe vardon, cleveland.com, "Cavaliers don't care if they blew chance at easier playoff path: Inside Cavs-Sixers," 6 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of consult

see ¹consult

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1560

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

consult Synonyms

Synonyms

argument, argumentation, back-and-forth, colloquy, confab, confabulation, conference, consultation, council, counsel, debate, deliberation, dialogue (also dialog), discussion, give-and-take, palaver, parley, talk;

chat, conversation, rap, words;

discourse, disquisition;

bargaining, consultancy, negotiation, pourparler;

CONSULT Defined for English Language Learners

consult

verb

Definition of consult for English Language Learners

: to go to (someone, such as a doctor or lawyer) for advice : to ask for the professional opinion of (someone)
: to talk about something with (someone) in order to make a decision
: to look for information in (something, such as a book or map)