English
consensus
Consensus comes from Latin cōnsēnsus ‘agreement, accordance, unanimity’, from cōnsentiō ‘feel together’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- ‘to perceive’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to perceive’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sentiō‘to feel, to sense, to perceive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘to sense’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsentiō‘feel together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsēnsus‘agreement, accordance, unanimity’
- Englishearliest quotation 1975consensus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to perceive’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sentiō‘to feel, to sense, to perceive’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘to sense’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsentiō‘feel together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsēnsus‘agreement, accordance, unanimity’
- Englishearliest quotation 1975consensus
Earliest quotation: 1975, United States Bureau of the Census, The Census Bureau: “I think we are a strongly consensused society. There…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sent- ‘to perceive’
through Proto-Italic *sentiō ‘to feel, to sense, to perceive’
senseless, antisense, insensible, 27 more
through Latin sentiō ‘to sense’
sense, sentence, sensitive, sentiment, scent, sensible, sensor, sensation, resent, sensibility, sentient, assent, sensual, sentience, sensuous, sensu, 33 more
Today it means
noun A process of decision-making that seeks widespread agreement among group members.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sent- / consensus