Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To seek advice or information of.
  • intransitive verb To refer to.
  • intransitive verb To take into account; consider.
  • intransitive verb To exchange views; confer.
  • intransitive verb To work or serve as a consultant.
  • noun A consultation, especially one involving physicians.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To ask advice of; seek the opinion of as a guide to one's own judgment; have recourse to for information or instruction: as, to consult a friend, a physician, or a book.
  • To have especial reference or respect to, in judging or acting; consider; regard.
  • To plan, devise, or contrive.
  • . To seek the opinion or advice of another, for the purpose of regulating one's own action or judgment: followed by with.
  • To take counsel together; confer; deliberate in common.
  • noun A meeting for consultation or deliberation; a council.
  • noun The act of consulting; the effect of consultation; determination.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To ask advice of; to seek the opinion of; to apply to for information or instruction; to refer to.
  • transitive verb To have reference to, in judging or acting; to have regard to; to consider.
  • transitive verb obsolete To deliberate upon; to take for.
  • transitive verb obsolete To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive.
  • noun obsolete The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consulation; determination; decision.
  • noun obsolete A council; a meeting for consultation.
  • noun obsolete Agreement; concert.
  • intransitive verb To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete : The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consultation; determination; decision.
  • noun obsolete : A council; a meeting for consultation.
  • noun obsolete : Agreement; concert.
  • noun US : A visit, e.g. to a doctor; a consultation.
  • verb intransitive To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer.
  • verb intransitive To advise or offer expertise.
  • verb intransitive To work as a consultant or contractor rather than as a full-time employee of a firm.
  • verb 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.
  • verb transitive To have reference to, in judging or acting; to have regard to; to consider; as, to consult one's wishes.
  • verb transitive , (obsolete): To deliberate upon; to take for.
  • verb transitive , (obsolete): To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb have a conference in order to talk something over
  • verb seek information from
  • verb get or ask advice from
  • verb advise professionally

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French consulter, from Latin cōnsultāre, frequentative of cōnsulere, to take counsel.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From 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.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word consult.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Groceries are bought after consulting carefully made lists.

    January 22, 2018