consist

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verb

con·​sist kən-ˈsist 

consisted; consisting; consists

intransitive verb

1

: lie, reside

—usually used with in

Liberty consists in the absence of obstructions …

—A. E. Housman

"In her consists my happiness … "

—William Shakespeare

2

archaic

a

: exist, be

b

: to be capable of existing

3

: to be composed or made up

—usually used with of

Breakfast consisted of cereal, milk, and fruit.

The team consists of five players.

4

: to be consistent

it consists with the facts

consist

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noun

con·​sist ˈkän-ˌsist 

: makeup or composition (as of coal sizes or a railroad train) by classes, types, or grades and arrangement

Synonyms

Verb

• accord
• agree
• answer
• check
• chord
• cohere
• coincide
• comport
• conform
• correspond
• dovetail
• fit
• go
• harmonize
• jibe
• rhyme
• rime
• sort
• square
• tally

Examples of consist in a Sentence

Verb

that account consists with the information in the other reports

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Between beach trips, bachelorette parties, and weekdays in the city, my summer wardrobe consists largely of dresses that are cooling, versatile, and stylish. —Gabriella Maestri, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2024

McEnery’s current leasing challenges consist primarily of filling an office space in the Lyndon Building at 177 through 189 West Santa Clara Street and finding a new tenant to replace the Tabard Theater at 29 North San Pedro Street. —George Avalos, The Mercury News, 19 July 2024

Noun

The detectors at the observatory consist, in essence, of spinning polarizer filters. —Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 3 June 2024

The most basic consist of mounded earth. —Thomas Page, CNN, 18 July 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French consister "to lie, reside (in), stay permanently, comprise," borrowed from Latin consistere "to stop moving, come to a halt, remain at the same level, take up a position, reside, be composed (of), be established (in a given state), come into existence," from con- con- + sistere "to cause to stand, assume a standing position, place, check, halt" — more at assist entry 1

Noun

derivative of consist entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1898, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing consist

• consist in
• consist of

Kids Definition

consist

verb

con·​sist

kən-ˈsist

: to be made up or composed

breakfast consisted of cereal, milk, and fruit

coal consists mostly of carbon