CONSISTENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does consistent mean? 

• CONSISTENT (adjective)
  The adjective CONSISTENT has 4 senses:

1. (sometimes followed by 'with') in agreement or consistent or reliable

2. capable of being reproduced

3. marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts

4. the same throughout in structure or composition

  Familiarity information: CONSISTENT used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONSISTENT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(sometimes followed by 'with') in agreement or consistent or reliable

Context example:

I have decided that the course of conduct which I am following is consistent with my sense of responsibility as president in time of war

Similar:

accordant; agreeable; concordant; conformable; consonant (in keeping)

pursuant ((followed by 'to') in conformance to or agreement with)

reconciled (made compatible or consistent)

self-consistent (not self-contradictory)

unchanging (conforming to the same principles or course of action over time)

Also:

invariable (not liable to or capable of change)

Antonym:

inconsistent (displaying a lack of consistency)

Derivation:

consistency (logical coherence and accordance with the facts)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Capable of being reproduced

Synonyms:

consistent; reproducible

Context example:

astonishingly reproducible results can be obtained

Similar:

duplicable; duplicatable (capable of being duplicated)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts

Synonyms:

coherent; consistent; logical; ordered

Context example:

a coherent argument

Similar:

seamless (perfectly consistent and coherent)

Also:

logical (capable of or reflecting the capability for correct and valid reasoning)

rational (consistent with or based on or using reason)

Derivation:

consistence (a harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The same throughout in structure or composition

Synonyms:

consistent; uniform

Context example:

bituminous coal is often treated as a consistent and homogeneous product

Similar:

homogeneous; homogenous (all of the same or similar kind or nature)

 Context examples 

The Gumbasa Aqueduct was completed in 1913 to reduce the risk of famine by providing a consistent water supply for local farmers.

(NASA Map Reveals a New Landslide Risk Factor, NASA)

Reflects education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct consistent with standards established by the College.

(Fellow of American College of Surgeons, NCI Thesaurus)

These higher levels are consistent with reports from parents and teachers, and from other studies, that children with ASDs are more likely to be anxious in social situations than typically developing children.

(Animals’ presence may ease social anxiety in kids with autism, NIH)

Waste from the invertebrates is a consistent component of the "missing nitrogen."

(In search of an undersea kelp forest's missing nitrogen, National Science Foundation)

What's surprising about this study is that the relationship between thinning and flow speed is so consistent.

(NASA Finds Asian Glaciers Slowed by Ice Loss, NASA)

But we are none of us consistent, and in his behaviour to me there were stronger impulses even than pride.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Relative dairy and egg prices are strongly associated with international variation in stunting rates, consistent with an extensive literature linking dairy consumption to linear growth in young children.

(High cost of healthy food to blame for malnutrition, SciDev.Net)

The most commonly consumed vitamin and mineral supplements provide no consistent health benefit or harm, suggests a new study led by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto.

(Most Popular Supplements Provide No Health Benefit, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

“There are a few studies that show some effect,” Su says, “but the findings so far are not consistent.”

(Can Chocolate Really Be Good for You?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Since late December, money has been a consistent theme in the background of your life, and this month continues that trend.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)