1
as in resultant
coming as a result
his high-fat diet and the consequential weight gain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in important
having great meaning or lasting effect
the American Civil War is often regarded as the nation's most consequential event since its founding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
for such a consequential businessman, he's head of a rather small company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of consequential
That gap—between America’s booming soccer culture and its underperforming national team—is exactly what makes the AI scouting bet so consequential.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
The nomination requires Senate approval, but the career diplomat’s potential departure from a volatile Haiti after only a year comes as the Caribbean nation prepares to take some of its most consequential decisions since his arrival.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Because Vietnam just wrote the playbook for the most consequential fight in the global energy transition—and almost no one noticed.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
There is plenty of pornographic decoration in contemporary popular culture, but very little of it is consequential.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for consequential
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
The nomination requires Senate approval, but the career diplomat’s potential departure from a volatile Haiti after only a year comes as the Caribbean nation prepares to take some of its most consequential decisions since his arrival.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Because Vietnam just wrote the playbook for the most consequential fight in the global energy transition—and almost no one noticed.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
There is plenty of pornographic decoration in contemporary popular culture, but very little of it is consequential.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for consequential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consequential
Adjective
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This pace of growth means that every new generation of AI comes with an order-of-magnitude increase in energy, water demand and the resultant CO2 impact.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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The resultant pollution from the Canadian blazes spread across Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and even reached as far as Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Mississippi, according to the report.—
Sharon Udasin,
The Hill,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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China is North Korea’s top economic lifeline, accounting for the vast majority of the country’s foreign trade, and has long ranked as Pyongyang’s most important diplomatic partner.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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This year, owing to a mixup in the congressional budget, one of the government’s most important scholarships was left severely underfunded, depriving thousands of Peru’s neediest high-school graduates of the opportunity to continue their studies at local universities.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
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But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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The Iran war and the consequent global surge in energy prices is having a ripple effect on the war in Ukraine.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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The consequent disruptions ground some airports to a near-halt, while others contended with security lines that snaked out into parking lots and lasted upward of four hours.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Officials described the discovery as a significant blow to criminal organizations that rely on underground smuggling routes to move narcotics and other contraband across the border.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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The concerns stem from baseball's history of labor disputes and the significant divide between the league and the MLB Players Association on several economic issues.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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His eyes were on her, inviting her to be proud of his verticality.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Popovich will undoubtedly be proud, thrilled and probably not too surprised.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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Today’s roundup covers major local food news, a tightening governor’s race, and a homicide arrest in North Sacramento.—
Ruyuan Li. Story produced with AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2026
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One major contributor, the docuseries seems to argue, is the downfall of the prosecution at the hands of its own witnesses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
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Public policy decisions always need to strive for middle ground, and those leadership decisions often referred to as arrogant can just as easily be called principled leadership.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Consequential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consequential. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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