as in reciprocal
agreed to by the people involved; done with the consent of the people involved
a consensual decision She claims their relationship was consensual.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of consensual
Berry helped to create an online training course to teach students, parents and school staff about non-consensual, explicit deepfake image abuse, in partnership with cybersecurity firm Adaptive Security and Pathos Consulting Group.
—
Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Elon Musk’s xAI has restricted its AI chatbot Grok’s image generation capabilities to paying subscribers only, following widespread condemnation over its use to create non-consensual sexualized images of real women and children.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
There have been numerous reports of users asking for non-consensual designs of underage girls, including one in the The Guardian that found a picture of a 14-year-old Stranger Things actor in a bikini.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Of these, 37% engaged in violent scenarios that included physical harm, coercion and non-consensual acts.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for consensual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consensual
Adjective
-
Nothing wrong with a little fantasy, but this year’s astrology asks us to stop romanticizing potential and start paying attention to what feels genuine, reciprocal and enduring.—
-
But no one was prepared for the kind of reciprocal tariffs that were announced on April 2.—
Adjective
-
Status will be granted for no more than 24 months unless mutual consent is given for an extension.—
-
During an appearance on Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware in January 2024, the actress revealed that the pair actually met when they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend, music executive Marc Robinson.—
Adjective
-
The two countries signed dozens of bilateral agreements, including in a 20-year cooperation deal to repair and overhaul Venezuelan refineries and enhance military relations.—
-
She was also diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, an effect of Usher syndrome, as a baby.—
Cite this Entry
“Consensual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consensual. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
