consolation

noun

con·​so·​la·​tion ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce consolation (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of consoling : the state of being consoled : comfort
She found great consolation in all the cards and letters she received.
2
: something that consoles
specifically : a contest held for those who have lost early in a tournament
consolatory adjective

Examples of consolation in a Sentence

His kind words were a consolation to me. the consolation of the grieving family by their pastor
Recent Examples on the Web His legion of fans will likely accept this as a consolation for his many unrewarded films in past years. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Some Republicans were unhappy with that $1.7 trillion total and hoped to attach policy provisions to the legislation as a consolation for not cutting spending more. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 All of which means that delivering the satisfying, sink-into-your-sofa consolation of such shows involves a hectic, grueling, often maddening sprint to assemble new troupes of actors week after week, with casting directors receiving hundreds, sometimes thousands of submissions for every role. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 High inflation has been a worldwide phenomenon, but that’s no consolation to American families who are having to change their buying habits, cancel their vacations, or postpone their plans of finding a new home. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2024 United passengers bemoaning the fee increase may find consolation in hearing the airline is increasing the size of its overhead bins. Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2024 Those exceptional schools that do deliver traditional history -- home schools, parochial schools, charters -- still number too few to provide consolation. Amity Shlaes, National Review, 23 Feb. 2024 Still, the arrest could bring only so much consolation to a family suffering the agony of losing a loved one. USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024 White’s play offered little consolation after such a loss that even Payne acknowledge the Cards didn’t have the same competitive spirit as the past few games. The Courier-Journal, 20 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consolation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see console entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of consolation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near consolation

Cite this Entry

“Consolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consolation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

consolation

noun
con·​so·​la·​tion ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce consolation (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of consoling : the state of being consoled
2
: something that consoles
consolatory
kən-ˈsōl-ə-ˌtōr-ē
-sä-lə-
-ˌtȯr-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on consolation

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