Business English vocabulary - consensus

Business English Vocabulary – consensus

Share this article

Do you sometimes struggle to find the right word for what you want to say in English?

Every week, I present an important English word you can use in business. Over time, you will learn many new words that you can use to better say what you want in English.

This week, the important business English word you will learn is:

consensus

Business English vocabulary - consensus

*Note: This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.

Read this text from a Forbes article about leadership and consensus:

“One of the key traits we associate with effective leadership is the ability to build consensus — convince the team to come to an agreement for the good of the whole.

It’s not the only way to lead and there are plenty of theories that debunk it. But we still tend to associate it with success. I’ve got a colleague embroiled in a disagreement with a team these days, wishing a leader would come and rescue them by insisting they forge an agreement for the greater good, ego struggles aside. […]

They achieved consensus by carefully balancing their arguments and narrowing the focus of their decisions. They didn’t shoot the moon and set their egos and personal beliefs aside. […] So they agreed to work to agree, a classic example of consensus-building.”

Source: Forbes How Bad Leadership Makes Consensus Happen Anyway

How many times can you find the word consensus in this text?

What does “consensus” mean?

Example 1: One of the key traits we associate with effective leadership is the ability to build consensus.

Example 2: They achieved consensus by carefully balancing their arguments and narrowing the focus of their decisions.

A consensus is a general agreement about something. A general agreement about important issues is essential when working in a team.

Good leaders must be able to make team members agree on important topics. To make decisions, all the people in a group must reach an agreement about something, even if they have different opinions.

Business English vocabulary - consensus

What type of word is “consensus”?

“Among the startling images that emerged from the G20 summit in Hamburg — a meeting dedicated to building consensus among world leaders — are those of the former leader of the free world.”

The word ‘consensus’ is a noun. It is an uncountable noun which has no plural form.

‘Consensus’ is often used together with the verbs reach, achieve, and build:

  • to reach a consensus
  • to achieve a consensus
  • to build consensus

in the loop

How do you say “consensus” correctly?

/kənˈsensəs/

The word ‘consensus’ has three syllables. We stress the second syllable. The last syllable is a short sound.

Click on the speaker icon on the flash card to listen to the correct pronunciation.

[spacer height=”10px”]

Business English vocabulary -

How to study the new vocabulary

Memorize the new word on Quizlet

Learn more Business English vocabulary

Let’s practice

How can you use this new word at work? Write a sentence in the comments below!

Happy learning!

See also:

Business English Vocabulary: white paper

Business English Vocabulary: launch

Business English Vocabulary: input


Share this article

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *