Consequential dates from the 17th century and can be traced back to the Latin verb consequi, meaning "to follow along." Consequi, in turn, combines the prefix con-, meaning "through" or "with," and sequi, meaning "to follow." The English words sequel, second, and suitor are among the offspring of sequi. Henry Fielding's 1728 comedy Love in Several Masques introduced the meaning of "important" to consequential, which had until that point been used primarily in the context of results. Evidence for this usage declined temporarily in the 19th century, causing its acceptability to be questioned by such commentators as H. W. Fowler; it resurfaced in the 20th century, however, and is now considered standard.
There have been several consequential innovations in their computer software. The change to the schedule is not consequential.
Recent Examples on the WebFor many of the 45 million borrowers currently owing a total of about $1.8 trillion today, this issue is far more consequential. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022 However, Hazen said getting Carroll experience in the majors is more consequential. Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 19 Aug. 2022 Yet the costs of the Western economic sanctions on Russia which have boomeranged are far more consequential to people’s lives and livelihoods around the world. Tilak Doshi, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 Unlike Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home, might not be as consequential for the MCU. Chris Smith, BGR, 10 July 2022 But the outcome couldn’t be more consequential: With fish stocks across the globe declining due to overfishing, consumers are demanding greater transparency about where the filets on their plates are sourced. Joshua Goodman, Anchorage Daily News, 22 June 2022 Workers spend over half of their waking hours in the workplace, so what happens there is extremely consequential in their lives. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2022 Where the bill could be truly consequential is in planting the seeds for technology adoption that drives emissions lower beyond 2030. Greg Ip, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2022 Pesident Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for about two hours over a secure video call on Tuesday in what had been expected to be a highly consequential meeting for the two leaders amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Melissa Mahtani, CNN, 7 Dec. 2021 See More