console

1 of 2

noun

con·​sole ˈkän-ˌsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
1
: an architectural member projecting from a wall to form a bracket or from a keystone for ornament
2
3
a
: an upright case that houses the keyboards and controlling mechanisms of an organ and from which the organ is played
b
: a combination of readouts or displays and an input device (such as a keyboard or switches) by which an operator can monitor and interact with a system (such as a computer or dubber)
4
a
: a cabinet (as for a radio or television set) designed to rest directly on the floor
b
: a small storage cabinet between bucket seats in an automobile
5
: an electronic system that connects to a display (such as a television set) and is used primarily to play video games

console

2 of 2

verb

con·​sole kən-ˈsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
consoled; consoling

transitive verb

: to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of : comfort
console a widow
I consoled myself with the thought that things could be much worse.
consoler noun
plural consolers
He was a tactful consoler and capable of great generosity to people in trouble. Ferdinand Mount
consolingly adverb

Examples of console in a Sentence

Noun a custom-built walnut console holds all of their home-theater components Verb Nothing could console her after his death. the military officer who must console the bereaved at a soldier's funeral
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Cost: The best gifts for 9-year-olds come in a huge range from under $10 to hundreds of dollars for something like a gaming console or a tablet. Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023 Find it on Amazon Enhance Your Entryway With Functional Style And Storage Elevate your entryway with a chic and functional console. Theresa Johnson, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023 As the anxious, aspiring Cambridge postgrad, Labbadia glowers and snaps and trudges around in a dirty bathrobe, playing a first-person shooter on a handheld gaming console and sullenly bouncing a tennis ball off the wall. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2023 Hard buttons are kept to an absolute minimum, the only real physical control being a volume knob in the floating center console. Daniel Golson, The Verge, 14 Nov. 2023 This 28-inch by 11-inch seagrass tray is perfect for carrying those breakfast necessities or for displaying coffee table books and decorative finds on a table or media console. Erica Finamore, wsj.com, 12 Nov. 2023 Against the wall is a black steel Metro console from Noir accented with a little mushroom-like Rohe table lamp of walnut and polished nickel from CB2. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023 Through November 16, shoppers can find 10% to 20% discounts on televisions, video game consoles, computers and other tech gear, according to Adobe Digital Insights. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 9 Nov. 2023 Even if the console giants don’t want to play nice, developers are finding workarounds to make their games truly cross-platform. WIRED, 8 Nov. 2023
Verb
For Aaliyah, the news came as a total shock, especially because Lydia had become her closest friend in the women's living quarters, even going so far as to console her during a rough patch with Uche. Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 25 Sep. 2023 There are hundreds of different styles of boats, from 18-foot bass boats to saltwater center consoles from 20 to 65 feet LOA, all the way up to a new 171-footer designed as the world’s first sportfishing superyacht. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2023 Justin Parks consoling his head coach Butch Jones during a tough afternoon ❤️ pic.twitter.com/88TZvgmywl — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 2, 2023 Jones mentioned the moment during his post-game press conference. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 3 Sep. 2023 Zion himself took a break from his stage duties to hug and console his mother, eventually returning to the spotlight to give a brief message of world peace and love. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2023 The Rescuer The Rescuer is the savior, the magical helper who shows up to save the day (e.g., Luke Skywalker/Han Solo) by comforting and consoling the Victim, affirming how egregiously the Victim has been wronged. Neha Sangwan, Fortune Well, 26 Sep. 2023 Girlfriends will hopefully be there for you when times get rough during any aspect of your life, a recent death in the family, moving to a new city, grappling with a job layoff, and consoling you through a difficult breakup. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 18 Sep. 2023 From the Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog games that became cultural giants, to the Sega Mega Drive and Game Boy consoles which were symbols of their time, gaming was led by Tokyo for decades. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 6 Sep. 2023 The 29-year-old Canadian was 100 points behind leader Roman Khrennikov after the earliest stages of the competition, and consoled himself with the thought of a second or third place finish. Brett Williams, Men's Health, 29 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'console.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French

Verb

French consoler, from Latin consolari, from com- + solari to console

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of console was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near console

Cite this Entry

“Console.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/console. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

console

1 of 2 noun
con·​sole ˈkän-ˌsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
1
a
: the part of an organ at which the organist sits and which contains the keyboard and controls
b
: a panel or cabinet with dials and switches for controlling an electronic or mechanical device
2
: a cabinet (as for a phonograph or television set) that stands on the floor
3
: an electronic system that connects to a display (as a TV set) and is used to play video games

console

2 of 2 verb
con·​sole kən-ˈsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
consoled; consoling
: to comfort in times of grief, distress, or suffering

More from Merriam-Webster on console

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