consenting

IPA/kənˈsen.tɪŋ/
KK[kənsˈɛntɪŋ]IPA/kənˈsen.tɪŋ/

consenting — adjective

  • consentingpositive
  • more consentingcomparative
  • most consentingsuperlative

1. freely willing to take part in something and seen as able to decide for yourself

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

freely willing to take part in something and seen as able to decide for yourself

Example

The study only invited consenting adults from three nearby towns.

consenting adults in legal or research contexts

The nurse checked that each consenting patient had read the surgery form.

consenting patient in medical contexts

Common collocations
  • consenting adult
  • consenting patient
  • consenting partner
  • consenting volunteer
  • consenting donor
Synonyms
  • willing

    broader and common in everyday situations, not only permission-focused ones

  • voluntary

    more formal and often used for actions, programs, or services

  • agreeing

    less fixed as a legal or medical label and more about saying yes in the moment

  • consensual

    usually describes an activity or relationship agreed to by all sides

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

consenting adult

consenting patient

consenting partner

consenting volunteer

Usage Note

Most common before nouns such as adult, patient, partner, volunteer, and donor, especially in legal, sexual, and medical contexts where clear permission matters.

Common Mistakes

My consenting brother helped me move the sofa.
My willing brother helped me move the sofa.
consenting is usually used for permission or participation in legal, medical, or sexual situations, not ordinary readiness to help.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For adjective sense 1, consenting describes a person who freely says yes and is understood to be able to make that decision. Willing is broader and works in everyday situations such as helping, moving, or joining a plan. Voluntary is more official and often describes actions, jobs, or programs rather than a person's permission. Agreeing simply shows that someone says yes, but it is not as fixed in legal or medical language. Consensual usually describes an activity or relationship when all people involved agree. You can talk about a consenting patient before surgery, a willing friend who helps you move, and a consensual relationship between adults.

willing ↗voluntary ↗agreeing ↗consensual ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • consenting adults
  • consenting patient
  • consenting partner

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Consenting is built from consent plus the ending -ing. Consent came into English through French from Latin, where the older verb meant feeling or agreeing together. The adjective consenting later came to describe someone who freely agrees to take part in something.