con·sum·mate
ˈkän(t)-sə-mət 
kən-ˈsə-mət
kən-ˈsə-mət
1
: extremely skilled and accomplished
a consummate storyteller/writer/violinist
a consummate professional
… the consummate actor who always gave his all in roles.—
Brooklyn White
Brooklyn White2
: of the highest degree
consummate cruelty
Guest conductor Moon Doh expertly led the orchestra in a program of seasonal favorites, with consummate skill, intellect, and humor.—Leanne Heaton
Leanne Heaton3
: complete in every detail : perfect
a consummate model of a clipper ship
consummately
adverb
a consummately skillful pianist
con·sum·mate
ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmāt
consummated; consummating
1
: to make (marital union) complete by sexual intercourse
consummate a marriage
2
b
: to make perfect
c
: achieve
… after consummating my escape, as I thought, from these goblins …—Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
: to become perfected
Did you know?
Consummate is a consummate example of a word that’s shifted in meaning over the centuries. A 15th century addition to the language ultimately from Latin consummare, meaning “to sum up, finish,” the word first described something that has been brought to completion. Shakespeare used the word this way in Measure for Measure: “Do you the office, friar; which consummate, Return him here again.” By the early 16th century consummate had taken on the meaning of “complete in every detail.” Today it usually describes someone or something extremely skilled and accomplished, but it can also describe that which is supremely excellent, as well as that which is simply extreme.
Examples of consummate in a Sentence
Adjective
… Berg, the consummate schmoozer, was the perfect spy for the job.
—Dick Teresi, New York Times Book Review, 24 July 1994
To thrive in science, you must be both a consummate collaborator and a relentless competitor.
—Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 1988
The rest of his life (he lived for a few more years) was one great consummate silence.
—R. K. Narayan, "Under the Banyan Tree,"
in The Story and Its Writer, edited by Ann Charters, 1987
"How dare you!" Natalie screamed, in consummate frustration …
—Joseph Wambaugh, The Black Marble, 1978
He plays the piano with consummate skill.
consummate cabinetmakers, they produced desks and chests of drawers that are now regarded as masterpieces of American furniture
Verb
In part she had loved him for that, loved the tender understanding with which he had acquiesced to her wish not to consummate their relationship out of wedlock.
—Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995
Once the sale was consummated, a thorough housecleaning took place in the advertising department …
—Brendan Gill, New York Times Book Review, 4 Oct. 1987
By prolonging the suspense and terror, he was needlessly delaying the reconciliation he himself was yearning so dearly to consummate.
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
The bargaining process went on for a few days, but the deal was never consummated.
Their happiness was consummated when their son was born.
Dick Teresi, New York Times Book Review, 24 July 1994
To thrive in science, you must be both a consummate collaborator and a relentless competitor.
—Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 1988
The rest of his life (he lived for a few more years) was one great consummate silence.
—R. K. Narayan, "Under the Banyan Tree,"
in The Story and Its Writer, edited by Ann Charters, 1987
"How dare you!" Natalie screamed, in consummate frustration …
—Joseph Wambaugh, The Black Marble, 1978
He plays the piano with consummate skill.
consummate cabinetmakers, they produced desks and chests of drawers that are now regarded as masterpieces of American furniture
Verb
In part she had loved him for that, loved the tender understanding with which he had acquiesced to her wish not to consummate their relationship out of wedlock.
—Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995
Once the sale was consummated, a thorough housecleaning took place in the advertising department …
—Brendan Gill, New York Times Book Review, 4 Oct. 1987
By prolonging the suspense and terror, he was needlessly delaying the reconciliation he himself was yearning so dearly to consummate.
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
The bargaining process went on for a few days, but the deal was never consummated.
Their happiness was consummated when their son was born.
Recent Examples on the Web
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026
The consummate local boy makes good, Charlie Coyle was a fan favorite in his six-plus years in Bruins.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
In Lily King’s Writers & Lovers, the heroine, a writer named Casey, balances her struggle to complete a novel with a string of relationships that King writes with heat and specificity until they get consummated.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consummate
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
In his first time hosting Saturday Night Live, Heated Rivalry breakout star Connor Storrie was a consummate pro while delivering his opening monologue — though his words provided an assist for the Team USA men’s hockey team to seemingly patch up its recent controversy.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026
The consummate local boy makes good, Charlie Coyle was a fan favorite in his six-plus years in Bruins.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
Although layoffs are a near certainty after the deal is consummated, layoffs were a near certainty without a deal because each company individually lacked staying power in a rapidly changing media landscape.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
In Lily King’s Writers & Lovers, the heroine, a writer named Casey, balances her struggle to complete a novel with a string of relationships that King writes with heat and specificity until they get consummated.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consummate
Cite this Entry
“Consummate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consummate. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
consummate
1 of 2 adjective
con·sum·mate
kən-ˈsəm-ət
ˈkän(t)-sə-mət
ˈkän(t)-sə-mət
: of the highest degree, quality, or skill
a consummate politician
consummately
adverb
consummate
2 of 2 verb
con·sum·mate
ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmāt
consummated; consummating
: to make perfect or complete
consummation
noun
ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈmā-shən
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