consort

1 of 3

noun (1)

con·​sort ˈkän-ˌsȯrt How to pronounce consort (audio)
1
: associate
the criminal and his consorts
2
: a ship accompanying another
… he could see the brown sail and the red sail of their consortsC. S. Forester
3

consort

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: conjunction, association
He ruled in consort with his father.
2
: group, assembly
a consort of specialists
3
a
: a group of singers or instrumentalists performing together
b
: a set of musical instruments of the same family

consort

3 of 3

verb

con·​sort kən-ˈsȯrt How to pronounce consort (audio)
kän-ˈsȯrt,
ˈkän-ˌsȯrt
consorted; consorting; consorts

intransitive verb

1
: to keep company
consorting with criminals
2
obsolete : to make harmony : play
3
: accord, harmonize
The illustrations consort admirably with the text.The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Examples of consort in a Sentence

Verb at college she began consorting with drug users, eventually becoming an addict herself the restaurant's sophisticated menu consorts seamlessly with its sleek, modern ambience
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Taken on their own, the scenes between the emperor and his consort seem intended to evoke the comical or absurdist elements in wigs-and-tights movies like Amadeus or Barry Lyndon (which Stanley Kubrick made when funding for his own Napoleon film fell through). Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 The consort’s entire flute, oboe and bassoon section played beautifully, offering crisp conversation with tart strings stoked by conductor Dana Marsh. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023 The crown was originally made for the 1911 coronation of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V. The Queen Consort's Ring During the coronation of Queen Camilla, the Archbishop of Canterbury will place The Queen Consort's Ring on Her Majesty's finger. Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 Apr. 2023 On paper, the consort is the resident early music ensemble of the Folger Shakespeare Library, specializing in repertoire drawn from the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023 Queen Camilla Makes Her Debut in a Historic Crown for King Charles' First State Opening of Parliament As consort, Queen Camilla sat to King Charles’ left, taking the same spot that Prince Philip did when Queen Elizabeth helmed the State Opening of Parliament through her royal reign. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023 In addition to King Charles' immediate family, monarchs from several foreign countries will be in attendance for the ceremony — marking a change from past coronations, in which royals often sent heirs, consorts or other family members to represent them. Karli Bendlin, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2023 After a string of hospitalizations, Prince Philip — the longest-serving British consort — announced his retirement from royal duties in April 2017. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023 And like the consorts who came before her, she was expected to abide by the strict rules and schedules, pomp and circumstance, that defined life at court. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 17 July 2023
Verb
In Riley’s world, the women who consort with such men have been emptied of their confidence and are merely mimicking the men’s aggressive insistence with their own passive-aggressive survivalism. James Wood, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2023 Pandemic scofflaws like this man are making decisions for other people — people who might not have chosen, say, to consort with the unvaccinated. New York Times, 15 Mar. 2022 But he is detested by western militiamen, and is also known to consort with extremists. Alessandra Bocchi, WSJ, 13 July 2021 Not all biographers truly consort with creativity, but Lee does, so her books have a creativity of their own, deepening and sometimes altering one’s sense of the individual talent. Andrew O’Hagan, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2021 Was Oswald a kind of rogue James Bond who went south of the border to consort with communists, Cuban revolutionaries and spies – or just a deranged killer? Gonzalo Soltero, The Conversation, 19 Nov. 2020 When that’s the case, passengers with TSA PreCheck must consort with the commoners in the standard line. Laura Kiniry, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consort.' 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

Noun (1) and Verb

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin consort-, consors partner, sharer, from com- + sort-, sors lot, share — more at series

Noun (2)

Middle French consorte, from consort — see consort entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1588, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of consort was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near consort

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

consort

1 of 2 noun
con·​sort ˈkän-ˌsȯ(ə)rt How to pronounce consort (audio)
: a wife or husband : spouse

consort

2 of 2 verb
con·​sort
kən-ˈsȯ(ə)rt
: to go together as companions : associate
consorting with criminals

More from Merriam-Webster on consort

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