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Webster 1913 Edition

Consult

Con-sult′

(kŏn-sŭlt′)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Consulted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Consulting
.]
[L.
consultare
, fr.
consulere
to consult: cf. f.
consulter
. Cf.
Counsel
.]
To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer.
Let us
consult
upon to-morrow’s business.
Shakespeare
All the laws of England have been made by the kings England,
consulting
with the nobility and commons.
Hobbes.

Con-sult′

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To ask advice of; to seek the opinion of; to apply to for information or instruction; to refer to;
as, to
consult
a physician; to
consult
a dictionary
.
Men forgot, or feared, to
consult
nature . . . ; they were content to
consult
libraries.
Whewell.
2.
To have reference to, in judging or acting; to have regard to; to consider;
as, to
consult
one's wishes
.
We are . . . to
consult
the necessities of life, rather than matters of ornament and delight.
L'Estrange.
3.
To deliberate upon; to take for.
[Obs.]
Manythings were there
consulted
for the future, yet nothing was positively resolved.
Clarendon.
4.
To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive.
[Obs.]
Thou hast
consulted
shame to thy house by cutting off many people.
Hab. ii. 10.

Con-sult′

(kŏn-sŭlt′ or kŏn′sŭlt)
,
Noun.
1.
The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consulation; determination; decision.
[Obs.]
The council broke;
And all grave
consults
dissolved in smoke.
Dryden.
2.
A council; a meeting for consultation.
[Obs.]
“A consult of coquettes.”
Swift.
3.
Agreement; concert
[Obs.]
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition

Consult

CONSULT

,
Verb.
I.
[L., to consult, to ask counsel.]
1.
To seek the opinion or advice of another by, by a statement of facts, and suitable inquiries, for the purpose of directing ones own judgment; followed by with.
Rehoboam consulted with the old men. 1 Kings 12.
David consulted with the captains of thousands. 1 Chronicles 13.
2.
To take counsel together; to seek opinions and advice by mutual statements, enquiries and reasonings; to deliberate in common.
The chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death. John 12.
3.
To consider with deliberation. Luke 14.

CONSULT

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To ask advice of; to seek the opinion of another, as a guide to ones own judgment; as, to consult a friend or parent.
2.
To seek information, or facts, in something; as by examining books or papers, Thus, I consulted several authors on the subject; I consulted the official documents.
3.
To regard; to have reference or respect to, in judging or acting; to decide or to act in favor of. We are to consult the necessities, rather than the pleasures of life. We are to consult public as well as private interest. He consulted his own safety in flight.
Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse.
4.
To plan, devise or contrive.
Thou hast consulted shame to thy house, by cutting off many people. Habakkuk 2. [This sense is unusual and not to be countenanced.]

CONSULT

,
Noun.
The act of consulting; the effect of consultation; determination; a council, or deliberating assembly. This word is, I believe, entirely obsolete, except in poetry. It would be naturally accented on the first syllable, but the poets accent the last.

Definition 2024

consult

consult

English

Alternative forms

Noun

consult ‎(plural consults)

  1. (obsolete) The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consultation; determination; decision.
    The council broke; And all grave consults dissolved in smoke. -John Dryden.
  2. (obsolete) A council; a meeting for consultation.
    A consult of coquettes. -Jonathan Swift.
  3. (obsolete) Agreement; concert.
  4. (US) A visit, e.g. to a doctor; a consultation.

Usage notes

  • The noun consult is avoided in British English, favoring consultation instead. In AmE, they are merely synonyms.

Synonyms

Verb

consult ‎(third-person singular simple present consults, present participle consulting, simple past and past participle consulted)

  1. (intransitive) To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer.
    Let us consult upon to-morrow's business. -William Shakespeare
    All the laws of England have been made by the kings of England, consulting with the nobility and commons. - Thomas Hobbes.
  2. (intransitive) To advise or offer expertise.
  3. (intransitive) To work as a consultant or contractor rather than as a full-time employee of a firm.
  4. (transitive) To ask advice of; to seek the opinion of; to apply to for information or instruction; to refer to; as, to consult a physician; to consult a dictionary.
    Men forgot, or feared, to consult ... ; they were content to consult libraries. - William Whewell.
  5. (transitive) To have reference to, in judging or acting; to have regard to; to consider; as, to consult one's wishes.
    We are ... to consult the necessities of life, rather than matters of ornament and delight. -L'Estrange.
  6. (transitive, obsolete) To deliberate upon; to take for.
    Many things were there consulted for the future, yet nothing was positively resolved. -Edward Hyde Clarendon.
  7. (transitive, obsolete) To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive.
    Thou hast consulted shame to thy use by cutting off many people. - Bible, Heb. ii. 10.

Translations

Related terms

Etymology

From Middle French consulter, from Latin consultare ‎(“to deliberate, consult”), frequentative of consulere ‎(“to consult, deliberate, consider, reflect upon, ask advice”), from com- ‎(“together”) + -sulere, of uncertain origin.

Pronunciation

Noun
  • enPR: kŏn'sŭlt or kənsŭlt'
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɒnsʌlt/, /kənˈsʌlt/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɑnsʌlt/
Verb
  • enPR: kənsŭlt', IPA(key): /kənˈsʌlt/

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