consult

1 of 2

verb

con·​sult kən-ˈsəlt 

consulted; consulting; consults

transitive verb

1

: to have regard to : consider

"Adams, consult your own safety, and don't remain here … "

—Charles Dickens

2

a

: to ask the advice or opinion of

consult a doctor

consult a lawyer

b

: to refer to

consult a dictionary

intransitive verb

1

: to consult an individual

consulted with experts on the matter

2

: to deliberate together : confer

… the three powers would consult on how to ameliorate the internal political conflict …

—W. S. Vucinich

3

: to serve as a consultant

consulter noun

consult

2 of 2

noun

con·​sult kən-ˈsəlt  ˈkän-ˌsəlt 

: consultation

Did you know?

Confer vs. Consult

Confer and consult are very closely related in meaning, and each has senses that are synonymous with the other’s. But as is so often the case with near-synonyms, there are contexts in which one word is preferable to the other.

If you confer with someone, it is entirely possible that you will be seeking advice, but you could also simply be having a discussion (“they conferred privately before making a decision”). If you are consulting someone or something, it is more likely that you are seeking advice (“he consulted his doctor before deciding on a course of treatment”). Consult is unambiguously the correct choice when one is seeking guidance or information from a non-human source; you would consult (not confer with) a dictionary for information on a word.

The sense of confer that is concerned with giving something (as in, “education confers many benefits”) is not shared by consult.

Synonyms

Verb

• advise
• confab
• confabulate
• confer
• counsel
• parley
• treat

Noun

• argument
• argumentation
• argy-bargy [chiefly British]
• back-and-forth
• colloquy
• confab
• confabulation
• conference
• consultation
• council
• counsel
• debate
• deliberation
• dialogue
• dialog
• discussion
• give-and-take
• palaver
• parley
• talk

Examples of consult in a Sentence

Verb

consult a lawyer about a business matter

You should not attempt these exercises without first consulting your doctor.

He made the decision without consulting me.

I expect to be consulted on important decisions.

I don't remember that part of the meeting; I'll have to consult my notes.

Noun

it was time for a change of do, which called for a consult with her hairdresser

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

People who are pregnant or breastfeeding and people with medical conditions like bipolar disorder, epilepsy, and kidney problems should consult a healthcare provider before taking taurine supplements. —Jillian Kubala, Rd, Health, 5 Nov. 2024

The Tavitian Foundation also consulted Old Masters specialist and art consultant Etienne Bréton, Tavitian’s wife Isabella Meisinger, and art restorers David and Teresa Bull. —Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Noun

Data center stocks could be a goldmine, strategist says Waffle House, the iconic American restaurant chain with over 1,600 locations known for cooking up Southern breakfast food, has developed an advanced storm center FEMA consults with. —Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024

His daughter Lydia is Group Director of Food and Beverage, while Irene, who runs her own skincare line, consults on the spas. —Graeme Green, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle French or Latin; Middle French consulter, from Latin consultare, frequentative of consulere to deliberate, counsel, consult

First Known Use

Verb

1527, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1560, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

consult

verb

con·​sult

kən-ˈsəlt

1

: to seek the opinion or advice of

consult a doctor

2

: to seek information from

consult a dictionary

3

: to talk something over

have to consult with my lawyer

consulter noun

Medical Definition

consult

transitive verb

con·​sult kən-ˈsəlt 

: to ask the advice or opinion of

consult a doctor