as in reciprocal
agreed to by the people involved; done with the consent of the people involved
a consensual decision She claims their relationship was consensual.
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Recent Examples of consensual
In his trial, Hitchcock claimed the actions were consensual and that his brother, who entered the bedroom shortly afterward, killed the girl by strangulation.
—
Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
More frequently, someone will provide a consensual image that is then manipulated or spread around without the person’s consent.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors accused 37-year-old James Strahler of creating more than 700 non-consensual images and videos of adult women and minors, harassing the women with phone calls, messages and online postings.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Investigators located the messages between Villigram and the undercover officer during a consensual search of Villigram’s cellphone, according to the court document.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
More frequently, someone will provide a consensual image that is then manipulated or spread around without the person’s consent.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors accused 37-year-old James Strahler of creating more than 700 non-consensual images and videos of adult women and minors, harassing the women with phone calls, messages and online postings.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Investigators located the messages between Villigram and the undercover officer during a consensual search of Villigram’s cellphone, according to the court document.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consensual
Adjective
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Dog motherhood offers a version of care that is reciprocal without being all-consuming.—
Essence,
Essence,
9 May 2026
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Zelenskyy noted in a post on X that Ukraine would observe a reciprocal ceasefire starting at midnight on Tuesday.—
F. Brinley Bruton,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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On Thursday, May 14, Paul, 31, shared a lengthy Instagram post two weeks after a judge granted her and Mortensen, 33, mutual protective orders for three years in a Salt Lake City courtroom on April 30 following domestic violence allegations earlier this year.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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After meeting Abloh through mutual friends, Bafic worked on the stage design and visuals for the London launch of his collaboration with Nike, followed by a documentary about the late designer’s first collection as men’s creative director for Louis Vuittion.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The project is also expected to be one of the first features produced under a bilateral co-production agreement signed by France and the Philippines in Cannes last year.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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There were no major breakthroughs and few agreements, but there weren’t any blunders, either, and the frictionless summit brought China closer to a more stable footing in its most important — and often most volatile — bilateral relationship.—
Michelle Ye Hee Lee,
Washington Post,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Consensual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consensual. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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