consensus

Pluralconsensuses, consensus

Formsconsensuses, consensusing, consensused

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   General agreement among the members of a group, where each member has some say in making the decision and carrying it out.

   The neighborhood association governs by consensus, so every household helps shape the final rules.

   Negotiators worked through the night to build a consensus that all parties could endorse.

   Similaragreement, accord, unanimity, concord

   Oppositedisagreement, dissent, discord, division

   Note

   The state a group arrives at is usually described with verbs of arrival. People reach consensus, and after long debate one emerges or fails to. The noun works both with and without an article, so reach consensus and reach a consensus are both idiomatic. Reporting failure is just as natural: no real consensus has emerged.

2. 2
   noununcountable

   A method of making decisions that aims for wide agreement among the members of a group.

   The board switched to consensus after years of bitterly divided votes.

   Facilitators trained the volunteers in consensus so quieter members could shape the outcome.

   Note

   Here the word names a way of deciding, not the agreement that results. It comes from Latin cōnsēnsus, from cōnsentiō, "feel together; agree," the same source as consent. A group adopts consensus or is trained in it, much as it might adopt voting. the state of general agreement is what the process hopes to produce. A meeting can follow this method faithfully and still fail to reach that state.

3. 3
   nounusually singularbefore a noun

   An averaged forecast figure representing the combined projection of several analysts for a particular value.

   Traders had priced in a higher figure, so the stock dipped when results merely matched the consensus.

   The economists' consensus called for two rate cuts before year's end.

   Similarestimate, forecast, projection

   Note

   A finance and forecasting use that most often stands before another noun, as in a consensus forecast or consensus figure. Used that way it works like an adjective meaning "averaged across forecasters." When it stands alone, as in results matched the consensus, the forecast is understood. Either way it names a number, not anyone's agreement.

4. 4
   noununcountable

   Agreement reached among parts of a system on a single data value required during a computation.

   The cluster cannot proceed until its nodes reach consensus on the current leader.

   Network delays make consensus harder to achieve as the number of participants grows.

   Similaragreement

   Note

   Computing borrowed the everyday word and narrowed it. The parties are processes or machines rather than people, and what they must settle on is one shared value before the work can continue. The usual construction is reach consensus on something, such as a leader or a current state. Unlike a committee, the system cannot agree to differ.

5. 5
   verbtransitive or intransitive

   To hold discussions aimed at reaching mutual agreement within a group.

   Agency staff consensus with outside experts before any new guideline goes to the public.

   The final wording of the report was consensused by the panel over three rounds of review.

   Similarconfer, consult

   Note

   The verb belongs to the language of officialdom. The United States Bureau of the Census spoke in 1975 of a "strongly consensused society," and a House committee complained in 1992 that "none of this consensusing was done." Its forms are regular: consensuses, consensusing, consensused. It can take an object or stand alone. Many readers find it jargon, so the noun phrase reach consensus is the safer choice.

Showing meanings only. Show all 5