Skip to the word

Added 8 October 2026

consonant

/ˈkɒn.sə.nənt/ noun

In Latin: consonans, consona Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about consonant at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A sound that results from the passage of air through restrictions of the oral cavity; any sound that is not the nucleus of a syllable, the nucleus generally being a vowel.
A letter representing the sound of a consonant.

adjective

Consistent, harmonious, compatible, or in agreement.
Having the same sound.
Harmonizing together; accordant.
consonant tones; consonant chords

Origin

From Middle English consonant or consonaunt, from Old French consonant, from Latin cōnsonāns (“sounding with”), from the prefix con- (“with”) + the present participle sonāns (“sounding”), from sonāre (“to sound”). The Latin is a calque of Ancient Greek σύμφωνον (súmphōnon).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word