consent
C1Formal
Definition
Meaning
Permission or agreement for something to happen.
Voluntary, informed, and mutual agreement, often with legal or ethical implications regarding actions, procedures, or data usage.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a deliberate, conscious decision. Often used in contexts of law, medicine, ethics, and data protection. The verb form is intransitive and requires the preposition 'to'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. Minor differences in legal phrasing (e.g., 'age of consent' laws are jurisdiction-specific).
Connotations
Identical connotations of permission and agreement.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American legal and medical discourse due to prominent consent culture.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to consent to somethingto consent to do somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “by common consent”
- “a meeting of minds”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Required for processing employee data or launching new initiatives.
Academic
Central to research ethics, requiring participant consent.
Everyday
Used for permissions, e.g., 'Do I have your consent to share this photo?'
Technical
In law and medicine, denotes a specific, legally valid agreement.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The patient consented to the procedure after a full consultation.
- They will not consent to the merger without better terms.
American English
- She consented to the interview on the record.
- The board consented to the budget proposal unanimously.
adverb
British English
- He participated consentingly in the research project.
- The decision was made consentingly by all members.
American English
- She signed the form consentingly after reading the details.
- They acted consentingly, with full knowledge of the risks.
adjective
British English
- The consenting adults entered into the agreement freely.
- All parties must be consenting for the contract to be valid.
American English
- Only consenting participants were included in the study.
- The law applies to consenting individuals over the age of 18.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My parents gave their consent for the school trip.
- You need consent to use someone's photo.
- The doctor must get your consent before the operation.
- They married by mutual consent.
- Informed consent is a fundamental principle of medical ethics.
- The contract was void as it was signed without proper consent.
- The new GDPR regulations have stringent requirements for obtaining explicit consent for data processing.
- The treaty was ratified by the consent of all participating nations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
CONSENT = CONfirm your aSENT (agreement).
Conceptual Metaphor
AGREEMENT IS A CONTRACT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'согласие' in all contexts; for legal 'consent', use 'разрешение' or 'согласие' depending on formality.
- Do not confuse with 'consensus' (консенсус).
Common Mistakes
- Using it transitively (e.g., 'He consented the plan' – incorrect; correct: 'He consented to the plan').
- Confusing 'consent' (noun/verb) with 'content' (adjective).
Practice
Quiz
Which preposition most commonly follows the verb 'consent'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While most common in formal, legal, or medical contexts, it can be used in everyday situations where permission is sought, though 'permission' or 'agreement' is often more casual.
'Consent' implies formal, informed agreement, often with legal weight. 'Assent' is agreement or compliance, which can be less formal and sometimes implies agreeing to something you may not fully approve of.
No, it is intransitive. It must be followed by the preposition 'to' (e.g., consent to a proposal, consent to do something).
It is the age at which a person is legally considered competent to consent to sexual activity. This age varies by jurisdiction.