consensus
UK[kənˈsen.səs]US[kənˈsen.səs]
n
A general agreement among a group of people.
n
The opinion of most of the people in a group.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
sens
us
con
together
sens
feel
us
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'consensus' is a direct borrowing from Latin, where it meant "agreement, accord, sympathy". It is formed from the verb consentire, which itself is a compound of the prefix con- (together) and sentire (to feel). The literal sense is thus "to feel together". This Latin root evolved from the Proto-Indo-European root sent-, meaning "to head for, go", which also gave rise to the sense of mental direction or perception. Over time, the meaning shifted from a shared physical feeling to a shared mental opinion, arriving at its modern abstract sense of a general agreement reached by a group.
Analysis
Structure: con (together) + sens (feel) + us (noun suffix)
- con: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "together, with".
- sens: Latin origin, from the root sentire meaning "to feel".
- us: Latin origin, a noun-forming suffix indicating state or condition.
Examples
The committee finally reached a consensus on the new policy.
There is a growing consensus among scientists that climate change is a serious threat.
The decision was made by consensus, not by a formal vote.