Subsequent vs. Consequent

The English language has many ways to indicate that something has come after another thing, but a number of these words have subtle differences that you may want to observe.

Something is subsequent if it follows something else in time, order, or place. Its meaning is very similar to that of following or later, but it has a more formal tone to it and may imply that something not only follows but in some way grows out of or is otherwise closely connected with what precedes it (“their courtship and subsequent marriage”).

Consequent may also be used of something that follows, but that does so explicitly as a result of something else (“I said an insensitive thing and the consequent argument lasted for days”).

There may be occasions when either subsequent or consequent would work ("her wounding and subsequent [or consequent] loss of blood"); your choice in such cases would depend upon whether you want to stress the order of events or the causal relationship between one event and another.

Examples of subsequent in a Sentence

Her subsequent account of her ordeal, "The Upstairs Room" (1972), was a young adult tour de force, winning a Newbery Honor and other awards. Compared with Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl," it is sparer and sterner. — Leslie Garis, New York Times Book Review, 22 Feb. 2009 In the past, collectors would often hand over partial ownership of a painting—usually from 10% to 20%—and take a tax deduction for an equivalent percentage of the appraised value. The write-off on subsequent donations could rise each time the painting's value grew. Donors got a tax break, and museums got the art to exhibit for a period of time each year. Many such paintings were ultimately bequeathed to the museums. — Jeanne McDowell, Time, 20 Nov. 2006 In 1991, the Nurses' Health Study found that women receiving hormone therapy (estrogen and progestin) enjoyed a big (44 percent) reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease, and millions of women were encouraged to begin the therapy to counteract the effects of menopause. But in 2002, the Women's Health Initiative produced a radically different conclusion: Hormone therapy increases the risk of coronary events in post-menopausal women by 20 percent. A subsequent study confirmed that result. — Wilson Quarterly, Autumn 2005 The rate of population growth reached a peak in 1999 and declined in subsequent years. Her work had a great influence on subsequent generations. Subsequent studies confirmed their findings. his arrest and subsequent conviction See More

Recent Examples on the Web That production and the subsequent tour through the United States and Mexico put Boston Ballet on the international dance map. — Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2022 Each subsequent phase will also require approval from the planning commission. — Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 16 May 2022 Of the subsequent 400,000 fatalities, more than 300,000 were probably among the unvaccinated. — USA Today, 15 May 2022 The day’s afternoon service and subsequent luncheon was designated as a going-away party for 25-year senior pastor Leland Lanz, who is retiring and returning to his native Iowa in June. — Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2022 Casey itself has been cited as authority in subsequent cases such as Glucksberg and other cases. — Grayson Quay, The Week, 13 May 2022 Steel does not mention the subsequent charges filed against the rapper on Wednesday, which are technically separate from those listed in the indictment. — Chris Eggertsen, Billboard, 13 May 2022 After taking time off due to a harrowing surfing accident and subsequent pain killer addiction, Mickey finds out his former colleague died and left him with a full docket of cases big and small. — Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 13 May 2022 Charges involving three more detainees have been added in subsequent superseding indictments filed near the end of last year and earlier this year. — Leon Stafford, ajc, 13 May 2022 See More

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