Consideration

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kənˌsɪdəˈɹeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of thinking about something carefully before making a decision ; a payment or benefit given in exchange for something ; a factor or quality taken into account or treated with respect
2. Thoughtful reflection or deliberation before action ; compensation or value offered to complete an agreement ; an element worthy of attention or regard
3. The process of giving due attention and weighing options ; a sum paid or promised for a service or product ; a matter or point that influences a judgment or treatment

Etymology: The noun "consideration" carries a sense of weighing something carefully, and its roots lie in a Latin word for observing the stars. Latin "cōnsīderātiō" came from "cōnsīderāre," which many etymologists link to "sīdus," meaning "star" or "constellation." The idea is that a person studying the heavens or examining a matter was looking closely, as though checking the position of the stars before deciding a course. The word passed into Middle English from Old French "consideracion," and it carried both the literal sense of close examination and the mental sense of thinking something over. Over time the mental sense came to dominate, so that to give something consideration meant to turn it over in the mind before acting. Its use in the sense of payment or compensation, as in the modern phrase "for a consideration," developed from the same idea of weighing what is owed.

Synonyms: thought, deliberation, reflection, contemplation, regard

Antonyms: indifference, neglect, disregard