Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or expressing a consensus.
  • adjective Law Existing or entered into by mutual consent without formalization by document or ceremony.
  • adjective Involving the willing participation of both or all parties, especially in an illegal transaction or practice.
  • adjective Of or relating to a reflexive response of one body structure following stimulation of another, such as the concurrent constriction of one pupil in response to light shined in the other.
  • adjective Of or relating to involuntary movement of a body part accompanying voluntary movement of another.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Formed or existing by mere consent; depending upon consent or acquiescence: as, a consensual marriage.
  • In physiology, of the nature of reflex action involving sensation but not volition.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Law) Existing, or made, by the mutual consent of two or more parties.
  • adjective (Physiol.) Excited or caused by sensation, sympathy, or reflex action, and not by conscious volition.
  • adjective (Law) a contract formed merely by consent, as a marriage contract.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective With permission, with consensus, without coercion.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective existing by consent

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

consensus +‎ -ual

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Examples

  • But investigators say his DNA was found on Kercher's body, and he has admitted having what he describes as consensual sex with the British woman.

    Prison Diaries 2008

  • Kobe Bryant was cleared of sexually assaulting a hotel employee, but he admitted having what he described as consensual sex.

    CNN Transcript Jun 10, 2007 2007

  • Strauss-Kahn, disgraced former boss of the International Monetary Fund, had his foreign affair'' at the Sofitel Hotel in New York City, what he characterized as consensual sex with a maid and she called sexual assault.

    Thestar.com - Home Page Rosie DiManno 2011

  • The attorneys dodged questions about whether Strauss-Kahn acted inappropriately - what he described as a consensual sexual encounter with Diallo being, clearly, infidelity to his wife.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • Letterman declared that Cain is the first candidate this year to use the word 'consensual.''

    Breaking News: CBS News 2011

  • Pitino, who is married, was never charged, though he admitted having what he called consensual sex that lasted just 15 seconds, because, he said, she told him she was "extremely fertile."

    NBC San Diego - 2010

  • He admitted in court using the Viacom ruse 30 times over 10 years to get women into his vehicle for what he called consensual sex.

    Thestar.com - Home Page 2009

  • Investigators said the plan was for Green to pose his victim for pictures, which he would use to blackmail her into having what he called consensual sex with him once a week as "a treat."

    WESH.com - Local News 2009

  • He admitted in court using the Viacom ruse 30 times over 10 years to get women into his vehicle for what he called consensual sex.

    Thestar.com - Home Page 2009

  • These priests could easily go out and find gay males their age, or each other for that matter, and engage in consensual gay sex.

    Think Progress » Catholic League: Church Abuse Scandal Is A Crisis Of ‘Homosexuality,’ Not ‘Pedophilia’ 2010

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