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
As of state legislation passed in 2024, creating or distributing non-consensual pornographic deepfakes is a misdemeanor offense in Indiana.
—
Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 19 Sep. 2025
Some of the comments described non-consensual and fetish-style scenarios.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
At least 14 CEOs have been fired for apparently consensual affairs since 2016, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas data, often coinciding with either operational missteps or misuse of corporate assets.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Famously, Steve Easterbrook, the former chief executive of McDonald’s, walked away from the role with a hefty sum of $40 million after getting caught having a consensual relationship with a subordinate.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 19 Sep. 2025
Some of the comments described non-consensual and fetish-style scenarios.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
At least 14 CEOs have been fired for apparently consensual affairs since 2016, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas data, often coinciding with either operational missteps or misuse of corporate assets.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Famously, Steve Easterbrook, the former chief executive of McDonald’s, walked away from the role with a hefty sum of $40 million after getting caught having a consensual relationship with a subordinate.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consensual
Adjective
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Fox Entertainment recently entered into a reciprocal first-look deal with HarperCollins Publishers and invested in in Holywater, a Ukrainian tech firm focused on vertical video and microdramas.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
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The forecast assumes a 30 percent reciprocal tariff on China and a 20 percent reciprocal tariff on all other countries from which Kontoor sources product, except for Mexico, consistent with the prior outlook.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Catania and fellow cast member Teresa Giudice, as well as her brother Joe Giudice, all grew up in Patterson, New Jersey, and were mutual acquaintances.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Robinson rejected Towers’ arguments that the settlements were invalid due to mutual mistake or missing formal signatures.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Canada and Mexico have deepened ties, including promising to boost bilateral trade.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
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Beijing has also become an economic lifeline for Moscow amid heavy international sanctions, with record levels of bilateral trade, including significant oil and gas purchases.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Consensual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consensual. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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