consensus
Meaning
A general agreement among a group of people.
The opinion of most of the people in a group.
Structure
Usage
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.
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
- 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.