consensus
[ kuh n-sen-suh s ]
/ kənˈsɛn səs /
noun, plural con·sen·sus·es.
majority of opinion: The consensus of the group was that they should meet twice a month.
general agreement or concord; harmony.
Origin of consensus
usage note for consensus
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.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH consensus
census consensus (see usage note at the current entry)Words nearby consensus
Definition for consensus (2 of 2)
consensus gentium
[ kohn-sen-soo s gen-tee-oo m; English kuh n-sen-suh s jen-shee-uh m ]
/ koʊnˈsɛn sʊs ˈgɛn tiˌʊm; English kənˈsɛn səs ˈdʒɛn ʃi əm /
noun Latin.
agreement of the people.
Example sentences from the Web for consensus
British Dictionary definitions for consensus
consensus
/ (kənˈsɛnsəs) /
noun
general or widespread agreement (esp in the phrase consensus of opinion)
Word Origin for consensus
C19: from Latin, from
consentīre to feel together, agree; see
consent
usage for consensus
Since
consensus refers to a collective opinion, the words
of opinion in the phrase
consensus of opinion are redundant and should therefore be avoided