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con·se·quent (kŏnsĭ-kwĕnt, -kwənt)
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adj.
1.
a. Following as a natural effect, result, or conclusion: tried to prevent an oil spill and the consequent damage to wildlife.
b. Following as a logical conclusion.
2. Logically correct or consistent.
3. Geology Having a position or direction determined by the original form or slope of the earth's surface: a consequent river; a consequent valley.
n.
1. Logic The conclusion, as of a syllogism or a conditional sentence.
2. The second term of a ratio.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cōnsequēns, cōnsequent-, present participle of cōnsequī, to follow closely : com-, intensive pref.; see COM- + sequī, to follow; see sekw-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.