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
Cases of marital rape, the use of substances to incapacitate victims and non consensual image sharing of intimate images continue to proliferate across Europe.
—
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The defense has argued that the encounters were consensual and that the government has overreached.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Brand has previously denied the allegations against him and stressed all his relationships were consensual.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner joined the list of regulators expanding its investigations into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence service, Grok, after the app was used to create non-consensual, explicit images of people.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The defense has argued that the encounters were consensual and that the government has overreached.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Brand has previously denied the allegations against him and stressed all his relationships were consensual.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner joined the list of regulators expanding its investigations into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence service, Grok, after the app was used to create non-consensual, explicit images of people.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
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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The contract includes a $1 million signing bonus and mutual option for the 2028 season.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
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The bookstore’s nonprofit focuses on education and literacy, mutual aid and building community.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The two countries signed dozens of bilateral agreements, including in a 20-year cooperation deal to repair and overhaul Venezuelan refineries and enhance military relations.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
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She was also diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, an effect of Usher syndrome, as a baby.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Consensual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consensual. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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