consensus

C3O1N1S1E1N1S1U1S1
/kənˈsɛnsəs/

noun

A process of decision-making that seeks widespread agreement among group members.

“reach consensus”

Opposite

Meanings

nounconsensus (countable and uncountable, plural consensuses or consensus)

plural consensuses · alternative misspelling concensus

  1. countableuncountableA process of decision-making that seeks widespread agreement among group members.
  2. countableuncountableGeneral agreement among the members of a given group or community, each member of which exercises some discretion in decision-making and follow-up action.

    reach consensus

    1 more example

    After years of debate over the best wine to serve at Thanksgiving, no real consensus has emerged.

  3. countableuncountablecomputingAn agreement on some data value that is needed during computation.
  4. attributivecountableuncountableAverage projected value.

    a financial consensus forecast

verbconsensus (third-person singular simple present consensuses, present participle consensusing, simple past and past participle consensused)

present singular third person consensuses · participle present consensusing · participle past consensused · past consensused · alternative misspelling concensus

  1. ambitransitiveTo seek consensus; to hold discussions with the aim of reaching mutual agreement.

    None of this consensusing was done with the Manual. There were no national workshops, forums, etc.

    1992, United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Subcommittee on Environment, The Science of Wetland Definition and Delineation: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Environment of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session, November 12, 1991, page 185
    1 more example

    I think we are a strongly consensused society. There was a consensus during the 1950's, the Eisenhower years, in our society. Then in the 1960's came a period of division.

    1975, United States Bureau of the Census, The Census Bureau, page 168

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
Also see

Origin

  1. Latincōnsēnsus“agreement, accordance, unanimity”
  2. Englishconsensus

Borrowed from Latin cōnsēnsus (“agreement, accordance, unanimity”), from cōnsentiō (“feel together; agree”); see consent.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إِجْمَاع, تَوَافُق
  • إِجْمَاع (ʔijmāʕ)general agreement
  • تَوَافُق (tawāfuq)general agreement
Bulgarian съгла́сие, единоду́шие
  • съгла́сие (săglásie)general agreement
  • единоду́шие (edinodúšie)general agreement
  • консе́нсус (konsénsus)general agreement
Chinese Mandarin 共識 /共识
  • 共識 /共识 (gòngshí)general agreement
Czech shoda, souhlas
  • shodageneral agreement
  • souhlasgeneral agreement
  • konsenzusgeneral agreement
Danish konsensus
  • konsensusgeneral agreement
Dutch consensus, eensgezindheid
  • consensusgeneral agreement
  • eensgezindheidgeneral agreement
  • overeenstemminggeneral agreement
Esperanto interkonsento
  • interkonsentogeneral agreement
Finnish yhteisymmärrys, konsensus
  • yhteisymmärrysgeneral agreement
  • konsensusgeneral agreement
French consensus
  • consensusgeneral agreement
German Konsens, Einvernehmen
  • Konsensgeneral agreement
  • Einvernehmengeneral agreement
  • Einigkeitgeneral agreement
  • Übereinstimmunggeneral agreement
Greek ομοφωνία, κοινή συναίνεση
  • ομοφωνία (omofonía)general agreement
  • κοινή συναίνεση (koiní synaínesi)general agreement
Hebrew קוֹנְצֶנְזוּס, מִסְכָּם
  • קוֹנְצֶנְזוּס (kontsénzus)general agreement
  • מִסְכָּם (puristic)general agreement
Hindi संप्रतिपत्ति
  • संप्रतिपत्ति (sampratipatti)general agreement
Hungarian egyezség
  • egyezséggeneral agreement
Icelandic samstaða, samhljóða álit
  • samstaðageneral agreement
  • samhljóða álitgeneral agreement
Indonesian konsensus, kesepakatan
  • konsensusgeneral agreement
  • kesepakatangeneral agreement
Italian consenso
  • consensogeneral agreement
Japanese 総意, 協心
  • 総意 (sōi)general agreement
  • 協心 (kyōshin)general agreement
  • コンセンサス (konsensasu)general agreement
Korean 합의
  • 합의 (habui)general agreement
Latin consensus
  • consensusgeneral agreement
Māori tatūnga tokitoki
  • tatūnga tokitokigeneral agreement
Norwegian Bokmål konsensus
  • konsensusgeneral agreement
Persian اجماع
  • اجماع (ejmâ')general agreement
Polish konsensus
  • konsensusgeneral agreement
Portuguese consenso
  • consensogeneral agreement
Romanian consens
  • consensgeneral agreement
Russian консе́нсус, согла́сие
  • консе́нсус (konsɛ́nsus)general agreement
  • согла́сие (soglásije)general agreement
  • единоду́шие (jedinodúšije)general agreement
Spanish consenso, consensuar
  • consensogeneral agreement
  • consensuarTranslations
Swedish konsensus
  • konsensusgeneral agreement
Turkish konsensüs
  • konsensüsgeneral agreement
Ukrainian консе́нсус, зго́да
  • консе́нсус (konsénsus)general agreement
  • зго́да (zhóda)general agreement
Vietnamese sự đồng lòng, sự đồng thuận
  • sự đồng lònggeneral agreement
  • sự đồng thuậngeneral agreement
  • sự đồng tâmgeneral agreement
  • sự nhất trígeneral agreement
Cite this entry
APA

consensus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consensus

MLA

“consensus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consensus. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “consensus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consensus.

Source: consensus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.