Meaning & use
consultative
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Involving asking other people for their views or advice before a decision is made.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a consultative process, a consultative approach.
Patterns
- a consultative process
- a consultative style
The council adopted a consultative approach and held public meetings before changing the bus routes.
She prefers a consultative style of management, listening to the whole team first.
The consultative stage lasts until the end of June.
adjectivebefore a noun
Existing to give advice rather than to make binding decisions.
Grammar: Describes a body or role: a consultative committee.
Patterns
- a consultative body
- a consultative committee
The consultative committee can recommend changes but cannot enforce them.
A consultative vote showed what residents wanted, though the council was not bound by it.
He holds a consultative role in the project, not an executive one.
Common combinations
- consultative process
- The consultative process took six months.
- consultative document
- The ministry published a consultative document on school funding.
- consultative committee
- A consultative committee advises the mayor.
- consultative approach
- A consultative approach reduces resistance to change.
- consultative status
- The charity has consultative status at the United Nations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- advisory
- Advisory describes a body that gives advice, whereas consultative also describes the process of asking others for input.
- collaborative
- Collaborative means people work on something together, which goes further than just being asked for opinions.
- participatory
- Participatory suggests people actually take part in the decision, while consultative may only seek their views.
Opposites
Word family
- consult verb
- to ask for advice or information
- consultation noun
- a meeting or process of seeking advice
- consultant noun
- a person who gives expert advice professionally
- consultancy noun
- a firm of consultants
Commonly confused: consultative or consulting?
consultative vs consulting
Consulting is the activity of giving or seeking expert advice, such as consulting work; consultative describes a style or process of asking opinions.
Practice
A manager who asks staff for opinions before choosing a new schedule is using a ___ style.
Choose one answer.
Consultative means seeking input before deciding. Dictatorial is the opposite, and secretive and passive do not describe asking others for views.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “consultative”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.