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

The Department consulted the City’s law director and decided to pursue criminal charges. — Jack Greiner, Cincinnati.com, "Strictly Legal: Ohio police department's inability to take a joke may cost it.," 2 July 2019 Further, the Indian online video industry’s revenues will surge to $1.6 billion (around Rs11,000 crore) by 2022, compared with $340 million in 2017, claimed a report by global media consulting firm Media Partners Asia. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "A Mumbai-based startup may soon create India’s answer to The Simpsons," 25 June 2019 Colonial has said previously that its contract with Evans’ consulting firm included a provision requiring recusal on any matter that might create a conflict of interest. — Robert Mccartney, baltimoresun.com, "Jack Evans to resign from Metro board after probe shows he ‘knowingly’ violated rules," 21 June 2019 German referee Bibiana Steinhaus, who did not award the penalty at the time, changed her mind after consulting VAR, the video assistant referee, and allowed Eugenie Le Sommer to step up and fire home the winner from the spot. — James Masters, CNN, "France beats Norway at Women's World Cup after VAR controversy," 12 June 2019 What follows are our suggestions for the year to come, based on intelligence collected, insiders consulted, and cultural, gastronomic, and geopolitical trends considered. — Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, "The Best Places to Travel in 2019," 7 Dec. 2018 Borman continued consulting and working in grant development for nonprofit initiatives, including the South Sudan Aliab Education & Relief Fund, serving on the board of the organization. — Jesse Garza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee's Mary Ann Borman — 'a true dyed in the wool radical' — was dedicated to community action," 5 July 2018 Men have been consulting weather glasses and other barometers for a long time. — Richard Brookhiser, National Review, "Weather Trends," 20 June 2019 Referred to as a PSA, the assessment is intended for magistrate judges and commissioners to consult when deciding on defendants’ bonds. — Emily Lane, nola.com, "CVS police shootout suspects detained employees with zip ties, filled trash bag with pills: NOPD," 18 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

And investigators found more than 10,000 open and pending consults for prosthetics and hearing aids, leaving veterans to wait months for these items. — Washington Post, "Management failures led to ‘unacceptable’ patient risks at VA’s flagship D.C. hospital, watchdog finds," 7 Mar. 2018 State secretaries will send representatives to discuss security and consult with outside experts. — Ian Duncan, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland Gov. Hogan sets up new computer security office to protect state networks," 18 June 2019 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

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.