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consent

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word consent distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of consent are accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When could accede be used to replace consent?

In some situations, the words accede and consent are roughly equivalent. However, accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When would acquiesce be a good substitute for consent?

The words acquiesce and consent can be used in similar contexts, but acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

Where would agree be a reasonable alternative to consent?

While the synonyms agree and consent are close in meaning, agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

When might assent be a better fit than consent?

The synonyms assent and consent are sometimes interchangeable, but assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

When can subscribe be used instead of consent?

The words subscribe and consent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of consent
Noun
The payments, now being issued in waves, come nearly five years after Meta, Facebook's parent company, was first accused of allowing third-party access to user information without consent. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 The press, however—fearing backlash to its positive depiction of interracial romance—rewrote the conclusion without Grey’s knowledge or consent, killing off Nophaie and the offending prospect of miscegenation. Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
This crisis has shown us which world leaders will not only consent to this genocide, but brutally discipline their populations for having the gall to question it. Jack Sheehan september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025 To secure approval from the DOJ, HPE consented to divest its Instant On WLAN unit and license Juniper’s Mist AI software. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for consent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consent
Noun
  • By setting up permissions in advance, the agent (individual with the power to act on behalf of someone else) can step in immediately if the account owner is incapacitated.
    Kristin McKenna, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • After scouting several locations in Florida, California and Texas, the organizers decided on the Hamptons after Wilson, who died earlier this year, granted them permission to showcase in his space.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • China has built Russia’s defense industrial base, helped Iran provide Russia with one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, and assented as North Korea has sent troops to fight in Europe.
    Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2025
  • His representatives soon assented to de Moraes’s orders, including taking down the offending accounts and paying the fines.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The station stated that the volunteer acted without authorization and in direct violation of Radio Boise policies by making those comments on social media.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 13 Sep. 2025
  • In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke authorization of COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from approving any future COVID-19 vaccines.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Likewise, endorsing the belief that a college degree is important for economic success is different than agreeing that the typical college curriculum equips students with essential job skills.
    Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • On Friday, Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Emanuel Emegha from BlueCo sister club RC Strasbourg in a move that will be finalised in 2026.
    Leon Imber, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Consent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consent. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on consent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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