Consonant With: Standard Pattern
Consonant With: Standard Pattern records the directly documented construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.
Use “consonant with” in formal writing when one thing is in agreement or accord with another.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| formal: in agreement, harmony, or accord with something | consonant with + complement | Use “with” before the thing that agrees. |
| ordinary neutral prose | consistent with / in line with may be clearer | Choose a less formal alternative when the register calls for it. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you writing formal prose and expressing agreement or accord with another idea or standard?
If yes: Use “consonant with.”
If no: In ordinary prose, consider a clearer neutral alternative such as “consistent with” if the formal register is unnecessary.
Caveat: “Consonant with” is formal. The guidance is about the documented complement pattern and register, not a claim that other expressions of agreement are wrong.
Examples
The recommendation is consonant with the stated principles.
The phrase means in agreement with them.
That interpretation is consonant with the evidence reviewed.
Formal prose uses “with” before the point of agreement.
For a general audience, “consistent with the policy” may sound more natural.
A neutral alternative can better match the register.
Further guidance
Construction
Collins documents formal adjective “consonant with” for something that agrees or fits well with something else.
Style Boundary
This page covers the documented formal adjective construction; the noun consonant and other historical variants are outside its scope.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Consonant — Collins English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Collins English Dictionary · Direct learner-dictionary evidence for formal adjective “consonant with” meaning in agreement or accord.