consensus

Meaning

1. 1nounsingular

   An opinion or decision that most or all members of a group have come to share.

   Grammar: Usually singular with an or the: a consensus emerged; no plural form is normally used.

   Patterns

   • consensus on something
   • a consensus among people
   • reach a consensus

   After two hours of debate, the committee reached a consensus on the budget.

   There is a growing consensus among doctors that sleep is vital for learning.

   The board works by consensus, so nobody is outvoted.

Common combinations

reach a consensus

The neighbors finally reached a consensus about the new fence.

build consensus

The mayor spent weeks trying to build consensus before the vote.

scientific consensus

The scientific consensus is that vaccines are safe.

by consensus

The club chooses its captain by consensus.

a broad consensus

There is a broad consensus that the old bridge must be replaced.

Synonyms and how they differ

agreement

Agreement can involve just two people, while consensus always points to a whole group arriving at a shared view.

unanimity

Unanimity means every single person agrees, but consensus may allow a few quiet objectors.

accord

Accord is more formal and often describes a settlement between parties rather than a group's shared opinion.

Opposites

Word family

consensual adjective

done or made with the agreement of everyone involved

consent noun

permission or agreement to something

consensus-driven adjective

relying on shared agreement to make decisions

Commonly confused: consensus or census?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “consensus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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