What does consist mean?
To consist is to be made up or composed of particular parts, as when we say that a jury consists of twelve people or that air consists mostly of nitrogen and oxygen. The verb typically appears with the preposition "of," and it carries a formal, precise tone that suits academic, scientific, and official writing. It has two further senses: to "consist in" something means to have one's essential nature or value located there, as in happiness consists in contentment, while to "consist with" something means to be compatible with it, though this sense now sounds somewhat old-fashioned. Derived forms such as "consistent" and "consistency" extend the idea of standing firm or holding together into matters of logic, behavior, and even texture. Because it names the relationship between wholes and their parts, consist remains a workhorse of clear explanation.
verbTo be composed or made up of something (usually followed by "of"). Also, to have one's basis or essence in something, or to be compatible and not conflict with something.
- To be composed or made up of specified elements (followed by "of")
- To have one's essence or essential nature in something (followed by "in")
- To be compatible or in harmony; not to conflict (used with "with")
"The committee consists of twelve members drawn from across the university."
"Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen."
"True happiness consists not in wealth but in good health and strong relationships."
"His account of events does not consist with the security footage."
At its root, to consist literally means 'to stand together' — every time you say what something consists of, you're describing how its pieces stand side by side.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consist
Consist comes from the Latin verb consistere, formed from com- ('together') and sistere ('to cause to stand'), giving the literal sense of standing firm or standing together. It entered English via French and Latin around the early 17th century. It shares this same root sistere with a cluster of English verbs including persist, resist, insist, subsist, and exist, all of which involve some manner of standing or holding a position.
Related word forms
How consist is actually used
A fairly formal, neutral verb common in academic, technical, and expository writing; in everyday speech speakers often prefer simpler alternatives like "is made up of." Note that "consist" is used only in the active voice with an abstract subject — it is never passive.
Easily confused with consist
"Consist of" means to be made up of parts, while "comprise" takes the whole as its subject ("the team comprises ten players"), so the two are near-opposite in grammatical direction.
"Consist" is the verb meaning to be composed of something, whereas "consistency" is a noun referring either to uniformity or to a food's texture.