consensus

[ kuhn-sen-suhs ]

noun

, plural con·sen·sus·es.

1. majority of opinion:

   The consensus of the group was that they should meet twice a month.

2. general agreement or concord; harmony.

consensus

/ kənˈsɛnsəs /

noun

1. general or widespread agreement (esp in the phrase consensus of opinion )

Usage Note

Many say that the phrase consensus of opinion is redundant and hence should be avoided: The committee's statement represented a consensus of opinion. The expression is redundant, however, only if consensus is taken in the sense “majority of opinion” rather than in its equally valid and earlier sense “general agreement or concord.” Criticism of consensus of opinion has been so persistent and widespread that the phrase, even though in common use, occurs only infrequently in edited formal writing. The phrase general consensus is objected to for similar reasons. Consensus is now widely used attributively, especially in the phrase consensus politics.

Usage

Since consensus refers to a collective opinion, the words of opinion in the phrase consensus of opinion are redundant and should therefore be avoided

Word History and Origins

Origin of consensus¹

First recorded in 1850–55; from Latin, from consentīre “to be in agreement, share a feeling,” from con- con- + sentīre “to feel” ( sense )

Word History and Origins

Origin of consensus¹

C19: from Latin, from consentīre to feel together, agree; see consent

Example Sentences

Tanton’s belief that mass immigration would supplant white America had one particular focus: He saw it as a threat to the country’s ecology and ultimately to the consensus among environmentalists about preserving the purity of that ecology.

From Salon

The general consensus among music lawyers and songwriters is that the verdict failed to distinguish between influence and theft.

From BBC

“It is unfortunate that these conspiracy theories are muddying the water on an issue where we need a lot of consensus, a lot of clarity,” said Matteo Mirolo, from Breakthrough Energy, and one of the organisers of the COP29 discussion about the contrails.

From BBC

Ho’s argument aligns with the overwhelming consensus among legal scholars, historians, and courts.

From Slate

Friends of the Earth Netherlands argued that there was an international consensus that human rights offered protection against dangerous climate change and that companies had to respect human rights.

From BBC

Related Words

• accord
• consent
• harmony
• unanimity
• unity