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Today it means

consensus

general agreement reached among a group of people

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Where does the word "consensus" come from? It comes from Latin consentire, and was adopted directly into English (1854).

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Where does the word "consensus" come from? It comes from Latin consentire, and was adopted directly into English (1854).

Consensus’s story begins in Latin: consentire meant “to agree, to feel together.” To agree, to feel together, from com- (together) and sentire (to feel). It reached English by 1854 as consensus. First a medical term for organs acting in agreement. Today, consensus means general agreement reached among a group of people.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient consentire "to agree, to feel together", to agree, to feel together, from com- (together) and sentire (to feel).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1854 consensus "general agreement among a group", first a medical term for organs acting in agreement.

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