consistency

noun

kuhn-SIS-tuhn-see/kənˈsɪstənsi/

Pluralconsistencies (some meanings)

6 meanings of consistency

Practice

1
noununcountable
The quality of always doing things the same way, so others can trust the result.
Like a clock that shows the right time every single day.
Her consistency in training helped her improve quickly.
The team won because of their consistency on the field.
Similarreliability, uniformity, regularity, steadiness, constancy
Oppositeinconsistency, unreliability, variability, irregularity
2
nouncountable or uncountable
How thick or thin a liquid or mixture is.
Like the difference between water and honey: one runs fast, one runs slowly.
Beat the batter until it reaches a smooth consistency.
The soup had a thick, creamy consistency.
Similartexture, thickness, density, viscosity
Note
3
noununcountable
The way two things agree with each other and do not clash.
Like two puzzle pieces that fit together without forcing.
The judge checked the consistency between the two witness accounts.
There was little consistency between what he said and what he did.
Similaragreement, compatibility, correspondence, congruence, accord
Oppositeinconsistency, incompatibility, contradiction, discrepancy
4
noununcountable
When a group of rules or ideas all fit together without any of them clashing.
Like rules in a game that never tell you to do two opposite things at once.
Mathematicians checked the consistency of the new rules before using them.
A good set of game rules needs consistency so they never disagree.
Oppositeinconsistency
Note
5
noununcountable
When the parts of something close together fit and make sense as a whole.
Like bricks in a wall that line up neatly with the ones next to them.
The story lacked consistency, with each scene ignoring the one before it.
Good writing has consistency between neighboring sentences.
Similarcoherence, cohesion, continuity, unity
Oppositeincoherence, inconsistency, disjointedness

Less common meaning

6
nounobsoleteuncountable
Firmness or solidity in how something is built or how it holds up.
His friendship is of a noble make and a lasting consistency.
1692, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several OccasionsHere, consistency means firmness and the ability to last.
Note

Practice

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