I. ˈkän(t)sə̇ˌkwen(t)s, -sēˌk-, -_kwən- sometimes ˈkȯn- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin consequentia, from consequent-, consequens + -ia
1. : something that is produced by a cause or follows from a form of necessary connection or from a set of conditions : a natural or necessary result
this refined taste is the consequence of education and habit — Joshua Reynolds
his training had been poor and in combat he suffered the consequences
she was always quick and as a consequence received high grades
2. : a conclusion that results from reason or argument : an inference or proposition inferred from previous propositions
we can deduce … many consequences each of which can be tested by experiment — J.B.Conant
specifically : a statement derivable from other statements in accordance with the transformation rules of the language system they belong to
3. obsolete
a. : the act or action of following in succession : sequence
b. : the rational process by which effect follows cause : logical sequence
4.
a. : importance often with respect to what comes after or in power to produce an effect : value , moment
a mistake of no consequence
a problem of grave international consequence
b. : social importance or distinction
a person of some consequence
she had managed to bring with her a certain urban consequence — Margery Sharp
5. : the appearance of importance especially in demeanor : dignity
his voice had authority and his bearing consequence
especially : self-importance
with all the consequence of a peacock
6. consequences plural but singular in construction : a game in which a brief and humorous story descriptive of two people, their meeting, and its consequences is made up as the players in turn write answers to a series of questions, each one concealing what he has written before passing the paper to his neighbor for the next answer
Synonyms: see effect , importance
•
- in consequence
- in consequence of
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
obsolete : infer