Meanings
plural consequences
- countableuncountableAn effect; something that follows a cause as a result.
The lobule margins, furthermore, are arched away from the lobe, with the consequence that (when fully inflated) the abaxial leaf surface forms the interior lining of the lobule.
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 7- countableuncountableAn unwanted or unpleasant effect.
I'm warning you. If you don't get me the report on time, there will be consequences.
1 more example
Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.
2013 September-October, Michael Sivak, “Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?”, in American ScientistSynonyms: repercussion
- countableuncountableconsecution; chain of causes and effects.
- countableuncountableespecially when preceded by "of"Importance, influence, or significance.
My opinions are of no consequence whatsoever to my parents.
2 more examples
Thus young Pen, the only son of an estated country gentleman, with a good allowance, and a gentlemanlike bearing and person, looked to be a lad of much more consequence than he was really; and was held by the Oxbridge authorities, tradesmen, and undergraduates, as quite a young buck and member of the aristocracy.
1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 19, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLCRooney's United team-mate Chris Smalling was given his debut at right-back and was able to adjust to the international stage in relatively relaxed fashion as Bulgaria barely posed a threat of any consequence.
2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBCSynonyms: moment, distinction, rank, value
present singular third person consequences · participle present consequencing · participle past consequenced · past consequenced
- transitiveTo threaten or punish (a child, etc.) with specific consequences for misbehaviour.
These behaviours are not acceptable within a classroom setting and often result in the child being consequenced or removed from class.
2001, Betty Bedard-Bidwell, Hand in Hand, page 1171 more example
The goal of consequencing is to teach the child a lesson that leads to positive choices and behaviors. The goal of punishment is to inflict pain and seek revenge. Angry parenting is punitive and ineffectual.
1998, Terry M. Levy, Michael Orlans, Attachment, trauma, and healing
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn unwanted or unpleasant effect.
nounconclusion, deduction or inference; the thing concluded.
nounImportance, influence, or significance.
effect
More synonyms by meaning
nouna phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
nounthe outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual
nounhaving important effects or influence
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinconsequentia
- Old Frenchconsequence
- Middle Englishconsequence
- Englishconsequence
From Middle English consequence, from Old French consequence, from Latin consequentia. While analysable as con- + sequence, its adjective form has a different origin.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans gevolg, gevolg
- gevolgthat which follows something on which it depends
- gevolgresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Arabic عَاقِبَة, نَتِيجَة
- عَاقِبَة (ʕāqiba)that which follows something on which it depends
- نَتِيجَة (natīja)that which follows something on which it depends
- عَاقِبَة (ʕāqiba)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Bulgarian и́звод, заключе́ние
- и́звод (ízvod)proposition collected from the agreement of other previous propositions
- заключе́ние (zaključénie)proposition collected from the agreement of other previous propositions
- ва́жност (vážnost)importance with respect to what comes after
- значе́ние (značénie)importance with respect to what comes after
- влия́телност (vlijátelnost)power to influence or produce an effect
- сле́дствие (slédstvie)that which follows something on which it depends
- после́дствие (poslédstvie)that which follows something on which it depends
- после́дица (poslédica)that which follows something on which it depends
- после́дица (poslédica)result of actions, especially unpleasant
- резулта́т (rezultát)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Catalan conseqüència, conseqüència
- conseqüènciathat which follows something on which it depends
- conseqüènciaresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Chinese Mandarin 後果 /后果, 結果 /结果
- 後果 /后果 (hòuguǒ)that which follows something on which it depends
- 結果 /结果 (jiēguǒ)that which follows something on which it depends
Czech důsledek, následek
- důsledekthat which follows something on which it depends
- následekthat which follows something on which it depends
- následekresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Danish konsekvens, konsekvens
- konsekvensthat which follows something on which it depends
- konsekvensresult of actions, especially unpleasant
- bagslagresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Dutch gevolg, consequentie
- gevolgthat which follows something on which it depends
- consequentiethat which follows something on which it depends
- gevolgresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Esperanto sekvo, konsekvenco
- sekvothat which follows something on which it depends
- konsekvencothat which follows something on which it depends
- sekvoresult of actions, especially unpleasant
- rezultoresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Finnish seuraus, syy-seurausketju
- seurausproposition collected from the agreement of other previous propositions
- syy-seurausketjuchain of causes and effects; consecution
- vaikutusimportance with respect to what comes after
- vaikutusvaltapower to influence or produce an effect
- merkitysimportance, value or influence
- seurausimportance, value or influence
- vaikutusimportance, value or influence
- seurausthat which follows something on which it depends
- jälkiseurausresult of actions, especially unpleasant
- seuraamusresult of actions, especially unpleasant
French conséquence
- conséquencethat which follows something on which it depends
German Konsequenz, Konsequenz
- Konsequenzpower to influence or produce an effect
- Konsequenzthat which follows something on which it depends
- Folgethat which follows something on which it depends
- Konsequenzresult of actions, especially unpleasant
- Folgeresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Greek συνέπεια, συνέπεια
- συνέπεια (synépeia)that which follows something on which it depends
- συνέπεια (synépeia)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Hebrew תּוֹצָאָה, תּוֹצָאָה
- תּוֹצָאָה (totsa'á)that which follows something on which it depends
- תּוֹצָאָה (totsaá)result of actions, especially unpleasant
- הַשְׁלָכָה (hashlakhá)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Hindi परिणाम, नतीजा
- परिणाम (pariṇām)that which follows something on which it depends
- नतीजा (natījā)that which follows something on which it depends
Hungarian következmény, okozat
- következménythat which follows something on which it depends
- okozatthat which follows something on which it depends
- következményresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Icelandic afleiðing
- afleiðingthat which follows something on which it depends
Indonesian akibat
- akibatthat which follows something on which it depends
Irish iarmhairt, iarmhairt
- iarmhairtthat which follows something on which it depends
- iarmhairtresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Italian conseguenza
- conseguenzathat which follows something on which it depends
Japanese 結果
- 結果 (kekka)that which follows something on which it depends
Korean 결과
- 결과 (gyeolgwa)that which follows something on which it depends
Latin cōnsequentia
- cōnsequentiathat which follows something on which it depends
Malay akibat
- akibatthat which follows something on which it depends
Norwegian Bokmål konsekvens, følge
- konsekvensthat which follows something on which it depends
- følgeresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Polish konsekwencja, następstwo
- konsekwencjathat which follows something on which it depends
- następstwothat which follows something on which it depends
- skutekresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Portuguese consequência, resultado
- consequênciathat which follows something on which it depends
- resultadothat which follows something on which it depends
- consequênciaresult of actions, especially unpleasant
- resultadoresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Romanian consecință, urmare
- consecințăthat which follows something on which it depends
- urmarethat which follows something on which it depends
- consecvențăthat which follows something on which it depends
Russian после́дствие, сле́дствие
- после́дствие (poslédstvije)that which follows something on which it depends
- сле́дствие (slédstvije)that which follows something on which it depends
- ито́г (itóg)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Scottish Gaelic buil, èifeachd
- builthat which follows something on which it depends
- èifeachdthat which follows something on which it depends
- builresult of actions, especially unpleasant
- èifeachdresult of actions, especially unpleasant
- toradhresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Slovak dôsledok, následok
- dôsledokthat which follows something on which it depends
- následokthat which follows something on which it depends
Spanish consecuencia, consecuencia
- consecuenciathat which follows something on which it depends
- consecuenciaresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Swedish konsekvens, konsekvens
- konsekvensthat which follows something on which it depends
- konsekvensresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Tamil விளைவு, விளைவு
- விளைவு (viḷaivu)that which follows something on which it depends
- விளைவு (viḷaivu)result of actions, especially unpleasant
- பின்விளைவு (piṉviḷaivu)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Thai ผล, ผลลัพธ์
- ผล (pǒn)that which follows something on which it depends
- ผลลัพธ์ (pǒn-láp)that which follows something on which it depends
- วิบาก (wí-bàak)that which follows something on which it depends
- ผล (pǒn)result of actions, especially unpleasant
- ผลลัพธ์ (pǒn-láp)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Turkish sonuç, netice
- sonuçthat which follows something on which it depends
- neticethat which follows something on which it depends
Ukrainian на́слідок, на́слід
- на́слідок (náslidok)that which follows something on which it depends
- на́слід (náslid)that which follows something on which it depends
- результа́т (rezulʹtát)result of actions, especially unpleasant
Urdu نَتِیجَہ
- نَتِیجَہ (natīja)that which follows something on which it depends
Vietnamese hậu quả, hậu quả
- hậu quảthat which follows something on which it depends
- hậu quảresult of actions, especially unpleasant
Cite this entry
consequence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consequence
“consequence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consequence. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “consequence,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consequence.
Source: consequence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.