Consistent

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kənˈsɪstənt/

Definitions

1. Acting or done in the same way over time, showing a steady and unchanging pattern of behavior or results
2. Exhibiting a steady and uniform approach across various instances, thereby reinforcing reliability and dependability in outcomes or actions
3. Demonstrating a stable and unvarying nature throughout multiple situations, which contributes to predictability in behavior or results

Etymology: Consistent looks like a simple "consist" plus "-ent," but the Latin it descends from was built on a verb meaning "to stand together." The Latin verb "cōnsistere" combined "con-," meaning "together," with "sistere," "to cause to stand" or "to take a stand," so to consist once meant to stand firm or to hold one's ground. From the present participle "cōnsistentem," English borrowed the word, and its early sense stayed close to that physical image of something standing still and holding its position. The move from standing firm to being unchanging took place within the language itself. A thing that keeps its position and does not waver came to be understood as something that stays the same from one moment to the next, and that is the sense the word carries today: always the same, uniform, or in agreement with what came before.

Synonyms: steady, reliable, uniform, constant, dependable

Antonyms: inconsistent, variable, erratic, unpredictable, unstable