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
The assault charges were later dropped, but Lonsdale acknowledged violating a rule prohibiting consensual relationships between mentors and students.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025
That design choice erodes the protections that normally prevent one app from peering into the data of others, and turns Sanchar Saathi into a permanent, non-consensual point of access sitting inside the operating system of every Indian smartphone user.
—Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025
As of state legislation passed in 2024, creating or distributing non-consensual pornographic deepfakes is a misdemeanor offense in Indiana.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 Dec. 2025
The former anchor insisted all of his encounters were consensual.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025
That design choice erodes the protections that normally prevent one app from peering into the data of others, and turns Sanchar Saathi into a permanent, non-consensual point of access sitting inside the operating system of every Indian smartphone user.
—Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025
As of state legislation passed in 2024, creating or distributing non-consensual pornographic deepfakes is a misdemeanor offense in Indiana.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 Dec. 2025
The former anchor insisted all of his encounters were consensual.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consensual
Adjective
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Nothing wrong with a little fantasy, but this year’s astrology asks us to stop romanticizing potential and start paying attention to what feels genuine, reciprocal and enduring.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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But no one was prepared for the kind of reciprocal tariffs that were announced on April 2.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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What seems to make Jennifer and Jim’s relationship work is its balance of normalcy and mutual respect.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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The two bonded over their mutual love for Atlanta and its vibrant culture before Trae and Quavo faced off in a friendly yet competitive game of HORSE on the basketball court.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The White House, for its part, told me Trump is more focused on bilateral negotiations over energy issues with other world leaders, in the context of trade and peace talks rather than COP.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The other set of complexities is that, by and large, these have become bilateral agreements.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Consensual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consensual. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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