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 company’s Grok AI chatbot and image generator allowed mass-creation and syndication of non-consensual, explicit, deepfake images that were based on photos of real people, including children.
—
Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
The process of decision-making was slow and consensual.
—Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
According to the nanny, Banfield feared his wife would file for divorce and set up a phony account on a fetish dating website under his wife’s name to catfish and lure Ryan, 39, to the house for a consensual but violent role-play scenario.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
The flurry of non-consensual deep fakes produced on the platform prompted outrage and concern across the globe.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
The process of decision-making was slow and consensual.
—Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
According to the nanny, Banfield feared his wife would file for divorce and set up a phony account on a fetish dating website under his wife’s name to catfish and lure Ryan, 39, to the house for a consensual but violent role-play scenario.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
The flurry of non-consensual deep fakes produced on the platform prompted outrage and concern across the globe.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consensual
Adjective
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This frees me up to prioritize both myself and the friends who are reciprocal in their time, effort, and energy.—
Rebecca Fearn,
SELF,
10 Feb. 2026
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Later this year, United and JetBlue's elite frequent flyers will start receiving reciprocal loyalty benefits from both airlines, including priority boarding and preferred and extra legroom seating.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Chesterton Fire provided mutual aid to the house, which is on the border of Chesterton, said Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Smith.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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Moreover, restoring a culture grounded in professionalism, transparency, and mutual respect is essential for enhancing the safety of staff and individuals in custody.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While 2026 has seen engagement at the bilateral level expanding, EU institutional mistrust of China persists.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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This month the last bilateral nuclear treaty between Russia and the United States expired.—
NPR,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Consensual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consensual. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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