As a noun, consent is permission for something to happen. As a verb, to consent means to agree to something or allow it to happen.
From Latin *consentire*, meaning "to feel together, agree" (*con-* "together" + *sentire* "to feel"). It originally emphasized shared feeling and agreement.
Consent isn’t just a yes—it’s a willing yes that can be taken back at any time. The root idea of "feeling together" reminds us that real consent means both sides are genuinely on the same page.
‘Consent’ has a long history in law and social norms around sexual activity, marriage, and medical treatment, where women’s consent was often ignored, coerced, or legally devalued. Feminist movements have pushed to center clear, affirmative consent and to recognize power imbalances.
Use ‘consent’ in a way that emphasizes clarity, voluntariness, and the right of all genders to say yes or no without pressure. Avoid language that blurs the difference between consent and mere acquiescence.
Women advocates, survivors, and scholars have been crucial in reshaping legal standards and public understanding of consent in sexual, medical, and research contexts.
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