consent 1 of 2

consent

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word consent distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of consent are accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When could accede be used to replace consent?

In some situations, the words accede and consent are roughly equivalent. However, accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When would acquiesce be a good substitute for consent?

The words acquiesce and consent can be used in similar contexts, but acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

Where would agree be a reasonable alternative to consent?

While the synonyms agree and consent are close in meaning, agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

When might assent be a better fit than consent?

The synonyms assent and consent are sometimes interchangeable, but assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

When can subscribe be used instead of consent?

The words subscribe and consent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of consent
Noun
In 2018, the European Union adopted the Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), a legal and regulatory framework for financial institutions to share customer data with consent via application programming interfaces (APIs). Ruth Foxe Blader, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Critics of the proposal, including former Councilmember Kate Harrison, lambasted the council for attempting to approve the measure as part of the consent calendar during an Oct. 15 meeting. Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
In Wisconsin, where 2,300 kits in the state’s backlog were never processed because of carve-outs in the testing protocol, Attorney General Josh Kaul told a public radio reporter last month that his predecessor decided to exclude kits where the victims had not explicitly consented to testing. Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2024 Attached was Eduardo’s signature consenting to the conservatorship dated two months prior — June 11, 2024. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for consent 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consent
Noun
  • When Spector released it without their labels’ permission, Cher went to his house to reason with him.
    Justin Curto, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
  • In the current proposal for land possession there, private land prevents the Crow from visiting many of these sites without permission from the landowner.
    Ryleigh Nucilli, Outside Online, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • When Nguyen assented, the man pledged to vote for him, no questions asked.
    Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Sigrid Nunez’s The Friend (2018) and Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry (2018) asked whether a woman can assent to her subjugation.
    Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Ukraine had urged the United States to provide the authorization for months.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
  • In addition to federal funds, an emergency authorization also allows FEMA to tap into an entire family of federal agencies, including the National Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Departments of Energy, Education, and Transportation, among others.
    Jess Craig, Vox, 17 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Capitol, however, was morally opposed to leaving any spare change rattling in the kids’ pockets—and the kids agreed.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 23 Nov. 2024
  • Kristin Chenoweth, who portrayed the good witch in Wicked on Broadway opposite Idina Menzel’s Elphaba, agreed.
    Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near consent

Cite this Entry

“Consent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consent. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on consent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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