consequence
B2Neutral to formal; common in academic, business, and formal writing.
Definition
Meaning
A result or effect of an action, event, or decision.
Importance or significance, especially in terms of rank, social standing, or serious outcomes.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word can denote both a neutral result (any outcome) and a negative result (an adverse outcome), with context determining the connotation. In its 'importance' sense, it is somewhat formal.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The 'importance' sense ('a man of consequence') is slightly more literary/archaic in both varieties but equally understood.
Connotations
Identical across varieties. 'Face the consequences' universally implies negative outcomes.
Frequency
Equally common and used identically in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
as a consequence of [NOUN PHRASE]in consequence of [NOUN PHRASE] (formal)of consequence (formal)consequence for [NOUN PHRASE]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “face the consequences”
- “take the consequences”
- “a consequence of”
- “of no consequence”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the outcomes of decisions, market changes, or strategies (e.g., 'The financial consequences of the merger were severe.').
Academic
Common in logical, scientific, or social science contexts to describe outcomes or implications (e.g., 'One consequence of the theory is...').
Everyday
Used to talk about results of actions, often with a negative tone (e.g., 'If you break the rules, you'll have to deal with the consequences.').
Technical
Used in logic (e.g., 'logical consequence'), computing (e.g., 'consequence analysis'), and systems theory.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The consequence of forgetting your homework is a lower mark.
- Eating too much candy can have a bad consequence for your teeth.
- He didn't consider the consequences of his quick decision.
- One consequence of the heavy rain was flooding in the city centre.
- The economic consequences of the policy change are still being analysed.
- As a consequence of the staff shortage, the library will close early.
- The discovery was of little consequence to the overall theory.
- They failed to foresee the unintended consequences of the new legislation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a king's sequence of orders: the CON-SEQUENCE (the king's sequence) is the result that follows.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONSEQUENCES ARE FOLLOWERS (they come after an event); CONSEQUENCES ARE WEIGHTS (they have heaviness/importance).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'консеквенция' (false friend). Use 'последствие' (result/effect) or 'значение' (importance). Beware: 'следствие' can mean 'investigation' in Russian, which is different.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'consequence' as a countable noun for a positive outcome only (it can be positive, negative, or neutral). Confusing 'consequence' with 'punishment' (a consequence can be a punishment, but not all consequences are punishments).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'consequence' used to mean 'importance'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often used for negative results, it can describe neutral or even positive outcomes (e.g., 'a welcome consequence'). Context determines the connotation.
'Result' is more general and neutral. 'Consequence' often implies a logical, causal, or more significant link to the preceding action and can carry a sense of weight or importance.
It is quite formal and less common in everyday speech. 'As a consequence of' or 'Because of' are more frequent in modern usage.
No, 'consequence' is not a standard verb in modern English. The related verb is 'to entail' or phrases like 'to have as a consequence'.
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