How to Use consensual in a Sentence

consensual

adjective
  • She claims their relationship was consensual.
  • Shaw said part of the encounter was consensual but not all of it.
    — Jenny Dial Creech, San Antonio Express-News, 13 June 2018
  • All said the girl was clear that what happened was not consensual.
    — Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2019
  • The victim said part of the encounter was consensual but not all of it.
    — Jenny Dial Creech, Houston Chronicle, 13 June 2018
  • Your primary job is to make sure that the play stays safe and consensual.
    — Virginia Sole-Smith, Parents, 28 May 2024
  • Does that look like someone is taking part in a consensual act?
    — Jericka Duncan, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2021
  • The book’s third section looks at consensual delusions on a grand scale.
    — Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2021
  • Don't forget the motto 'safe, sane, and consensual,' and be sure to have a safe word!
    — Dan Savage, Chicago Reader, 7 Feb. 2018
  • The victim has to be able to have specific proof that this was not consensual.
    — refinery29.com, 8 June 2018
  • Riep then told the woman to give her name on a video recording and say the actions were consensual.
    — Nathan Baird, cleveland, 6 Mar. 2020
  • The key is to find a video where the slapping isn’t scary or seemingly non-consensual.
    — Gigi Engle, SELF, 12 Oct. 2018
  • Which did alter the intent of the scene to something that seemed non-consensual.
    — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2019
  • Aldrich has said the encounter was consensual and has denied making any threats.
    — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 28 Oct. 2021
  • Like the Biden searches, the search at Pence's home was consensual.
    — Adriana Diaz, Andres Triay, Arden Farhi, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2023
  • No charges were brought against Hegseth; his lawyer maintains the encounter was consensual.
    — Mariel Padilla and Grace Panetta, Them, 27 Jan. 2025
  • The victim then told the pair that his previous encounter with the girl had been consensual.
    — Jared Gilmour, kansascity, 24 Apr. 2018
  • Mitchell said the lack of cases doesn’t mean non-consensual deepfakes aren't spreading.
    — Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The court file shows that the female teacher said any contact with the student was consensual.
    — Tawnell D. Hobbs, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2017
  • But if pranks were more like this (consensual, mostly pleasant, nice melody, good rhyme scheme), the world would be a better place.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2024
  • The suspect said the act was consensual, the affidavit states.
    — Dakin Andone, CNN, 21 Oct. 2021
  • These may seem consensual, but they are often shaped by fear, silence, and unequal power.
    — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The tech denied her claims, saying their encounter was consensual.
    — Rachel Desantis, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Hegseth said the allegations are false and that the encounter was consensual.
    — Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
  • The affair had been consensual, and in his case, the woman involved was not an employee.
    — Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024
  • Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
    — Tara Copp, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
    — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
  • McLemore pleaded not guilty to all charges, claiming the encounter was consensual.
    — Jason Anderson july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2025
  • More red flags were raised when cops looked at texts between Perkins and her ex that looked consensual and amicable.
    — Madeleine Marr, miamiherald, 16 May 2018
  • The department claims the stops are random and consensual.
    — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consensual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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