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consensus

kuhn-SEN-suhs /kənˈsɛnsəs/

nounC1GRESATGMATUPSC

professionalacademicpolitical

A general agreement among a group of people, typically reached after discussion and compromise.

Does not necessarily mean a unanimous vote, but rather an agreement that all parties can accept and support.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'consentire', which literally translates to 'to feel together' (from 'com-' meaning together, and 'sentire' meaning to feel). It reflects the idea of a group sharing a common sentiment or direction.

Word relationships

agreement: Agreement can be between just two people, whereas consensus almost always refers to a collective agreement within a larger group.

dissent: Dissent is the expression of holding opinions at variance with those previously or commonly held.

Commonly confused with

census: A census is an official count or survey of a population, while consensus is a general agreement.

Word family

consensual (adjective): Existing or made by mutual consent.

Collocations

reach a consensus
broad consensus
scientific consensus

Example sentences

"After three hours of debate, the committee finally reached a consensus on the new hiring policy." Boardroom decision
"The scientific consensus is that carbon emissions are the primary driver of global climate change." Scientific community

Memory hook

Think of 'con-' (together) + 'sense'. When everyone has the same common sense about an issue, you have a consensus. Sensing and feeling together.

When not to use

Do not use when a decision is made by a single authority figure without consulting the group.

Fun facts

In medical terms, a 'consensus conference' is a public meeting where experts evaluate scientific data to reach agreement on a clinical issue.