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consequence

/ˈkɑnsɪkwɛns/

/ˈkɒnsɪkwɛns/

Other forms: consequences

Things in a sequence come one after another, as in a number sequence of 1, 2, 3, 4. A consequence comes after, or as a result of something you do, for example, "He was given a traffic ticket as a consequence of running the red light."

A consequence is a "result" or "conclusion," and the Latin sequī, "to follow," is part of its history. Most actions and acts of nature have a consequence that follows as a result. When people do something wrong, like rob a bank, the consequence will probably be prison time. If an organization works for good and finds a cure for cancer, on the other hand, people will get better as a consequence. When something occurs in nature, like a tornado touching down, destruction might be the consequence.

Definitions of consequence
  1. noun
    a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
    “his decision had depressing consequences for business”
    synonyms: effect, event, issue, outcome, result, upshot
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    types:
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    materialisation, materialization, offspring
    something that comes into existence as a result
    aftereffect
    any result that follows its cause after an interval
    aftermath, backwash, wake
    the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event)
    bandwagon effect
    the phenomenon of a popular trend attracting even greater popularity
    brisance
    the shattering or crushing effect of a sudden release of energy as in an explosion
    butterfly effect
    the phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in Chicago
    by-product, byproduct
    a secondary and sometimes unexpected consequence
    change
    the result of alteration or modification
    coattails effect
    (politics) the consequence of one popular candidate in an election drawing votes for other members of the same political party
    Coriolis effect
    (physics) an effect whereby a body moving in a rotating frame of reference experiences the Coriolis force acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation; on Earth the Coriolis effect deflects moving bodies to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
    dent
    an appreciable consequence (especially a lessening)
    domino effect
    the consequence of one event setting off a chain of similar events (like a falling domino causing a whole row of upended dominos to fall)
    harvest
    the consequence of an effort or activity
    impact, wallop
    a forceful consequence; a strong effect
    influence
    the effect of one thing (or person) on another
    knock-on effect
    a secondary or incidental effect
    branch, offset, offshoot, outgrowth
    a natural consequence of development
    product
    a consequence of someone's efforts or of a particular set of circumstances
    placebo effect
    any effect that seems to be a consequence of administering a placebo; the change is usually beneficial and is assumed result from the person's faith in the treatment or preconceptions about what the experimental drug was supposed to do; pharmacologists were the first to talk about placebo effects but now the idea has been generalized to many situations having nothing to do with drugs
    position effect
    (genetics) the effect on the expression of a gene that is produced by changing its location in a chromosome
    repercussion, reverberation
    a remote or indirect consequence of some action
    response
    a result
    fallout, side effect
    any adverse and unwanted secondary effect
    spillover
    (economics) any indirect effect of public expenditure
    perturbation
    (physics) a secondary influence on a system that causes it to deviate slightly
    purchase
    a means of exerting influence or gaining advantage
    wind
    a tendency or force that influences events
    reaction
    a response that reveals a person's feelings or attitude
    epiphenomenon
    a secondary phenomenon that is a by-product of another phenomenon
    depolarisation, depolarization
    a loss of polarity or polarization
    type of:
    phenomenon
    any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
  2. noun
    the outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual
    synonyms: aftermath
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    corollary
    a practical consequence that follows naturally
    comeupance, comeuppance, deserts
    an outcome (good or bad) that is well deserved
    fruit
    the consequence of some effort or action
    sequella
    a secondary consequence
    train
    a series of consequences wrought by an event
    payoff, reward, wages
    a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
    type of:
    final result, outcome, result, resultant, termination
    something that results
  3. noun
    having important effects or influence
    “decisions of great consequence are made by the president himself”
    “that result is of no consequence
    synonyms: import, moment
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    Antonyms:
    inconsequence
    having no important effects or influence
    types:
    matter
    (used with negation) having consequence
    hell to pay
    dire consequences
    type of:
    significance
    the quality of being significant
Pronunciation
US

/ˈkɑnsɪkwɛns/

UK

/ˈkɒnsɪkwɛns/

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