Consist

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kənˈsɪst/

Definitions

1. To be made up or composed of particular parts or elements
2. To be formed or composed from specified components or elements
3. To have as its components or be constituted from several parts

Etymology: The verb arrived in English through Middle French "consister", which came from Latin "consistere", built from "com-" ("together") and "sistere" ("to stand"). The Latin verb carried a remarkable range of senses: to stand together, to halt, to become hard or solid, to agree with, and to continue or exist. Each of these survives in English in some form, though the modern sense of being composed of is the one that has dominated. The physical, standing-still sense is the older thread. A "consistent" substance in Latin was one that held its shape, and the idea of things standing together gave rise to the notion of parts forming a whole. Over time, "to consist" narrowed from the general idea of existing or holding together to the specific sense of being made up of particular components, which is how the verb is used today.

Synonyms: comprise, include, contain, encompass, constitute

Antonyms: exclude, dissolve, disband, disintegrate, separate