verb
consist
kuhn-SIHST
verb
1
To be made up of particular parts or elements.
"The meal consisted of soup, bread, and salad."
"The team consists of five engineers and two designers."
noun
1
A set of railway cars or carriages coupled together, with or without a locomotive.
"The freight consist stretched for nearly a mile."
How to Use Consist
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo be composed of certain parts.
Common mistake
"Consist of" is followed by the parts making up the whole, not by a passive verb — "The team consists of five people," not "is consisted."
Common pairings
consist of
mainly consist of
Word Forms
consisted past tense, consists plural, consists singular
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The meal _____ of soup, bread, and salad.
Etymology
From Latin consistere, "to stand together, remain firm" — com- ("together") plus sistere ("to stand").