Consistent

a. and sb. Also 7 -ant. [ad. L. consistent-em, pr. pple. of consistĕre: see CONSIST: cf. F. consistant, It. consistente.]

  A.  adj.

  † 1.  Standing still or firm; staying, remaining: as opposed to moving or giving way. Obs.

1604.  T. Wright, Passions, II. 318. Although the body be consistent in one place, yet the soule runneth … or rather, flieth from country to country.

1664.  Evelyn, Sylva (1679), 13. Transplanted Pines and Firrs … are hardly consistent against these Gusts.

  2.  Remaining in the same state or condition; settled, persistent; durable. Obs.

1647.  Crashaw, Poems, 157. Whose full and all-unwrinkled face Nor sinks nor swells with time or place; But everywhere, and everywhile, Is one consistent solid smile.

1672.  Sir T. Browne, Lett. to Friend, iii. (1881), 129. We run through variety of looks, before we come to consistent and settled faces.

1684.  Contempl. State Man, I. vi. 58. A fair Vessel of Chrystal, if it were as consistent and durable as Gold.

  † b.  Consistent age: the age when growth has ceased and before decay begins; the age of maturity (see CONSISTENCE 1 b). Obs.

1574.  T. N[ewton], trans. Gratarolus, Title-p., Such as bee in their consistent age, or neere thereunto.

1620.  Venner, Via Recta, vii. 137. Very wholsome … especially for them that be past their consistent age.

  † 3.  Consisting in or of, composed of. Obs.

1578.  Banister, Hist. Man, I. 31. The first, and second of the other fingers … both their extremities are consistent in heades.

1654.  trans. Scudery’s Curia Pol., 186. An Army consistent of an hundred thousand men.

1671.  Grew, Anat. Plants, I. v. § 17. Ever consistent of more than one … and for the most part of Three Pieces.

  4.  Holding together as a coherent material body; firm, stiff, solid, cohering. (Now rare or Obs.)

1647.  Cowley, Mistress, xlvi. Coldness, ii. Wks. 1710, I. 128.

1650.  Bulwer, Anthropomet., 102. For this cause the Eares were made Cartilagineous and consistent.

1674.  Grew, Anat. Plants, Lect., I. v. 232. The one upon Fluid, the other upon consistent Bodies.

1799.  Scotland described (ed. 2), 16. Either a spungy turf, or a black consistent peat-earth.

1836.  Todd, Cycl. Anat., I. 61/2. This adipose matter, though fluid, when first formed, becomes more consistent and fixed after deposition.

  † 5.  Existing together or simultaneously with. Obs. rare.

1649.  Selden, Laws Eng., II. xv. (1739), 82. Both the Custos Regni, and Protector, are not subsistent, but consistent with that of a King, because it supposes a King under incapacity.

1733.  Pope, Ess. Man, III. 315. So two consistent motions act the Soul; And one regards Itself, and one the Whole.

  6.  Agreeing or according in substance or form; congruous, compatible. (This and 7 are the usual current senses.)

  a.  Const. with (also † to).

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., V. xv. 257. An habite … not consistent with the words of our Saviour.

1732.  Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, 357. Such a sensation is very consistent with an inflammatory Distemper.

1795.  Cicely, I. 102. Consistent was it to her character.

1855.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 450. It was impudent in them to pretend that their present conduct was consistent with their former language.

1868.  Mill, Eng. & Irel., 22. The rule of Ireland now rightfully belongs to those who, by means consistent with justice, will make the cultivators of the soil of Ireland the owners of it.

  b.  absol. of two or more things; also of a single thing: = self-consistent, having its parts or elements in agreement.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxi. 108. Feare, and Liberty are consistent.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., Pref. 20. In the erection of a more judicious and consistent Fabrick.

1726.  Leoni, trans. Alberti’s Archit., I. 38 a. A solid, regular, and consistent Structure. We call it regular and consistent when the Parts are not incongruous and disjointed, but are disposed in their proper Places.

1751.  Johnson, Rambler, No. 178, ¶ 3. An attempt to make contradictions consistent.

a. 1862.  Buckle, Civiliz. (1869), III. v. 459. The most consistent of all combinations … great ignorance with great arrogance.

1884.  trans. Lotze’s Metaph., 240. To ask whether to such a conception of it any complete and consistent sense could be given.

  † c.  Used advb. = Consistently, in consistency.

1737.  Pope, Hor. Epist., I. i. 137. Shew me one who has it in his pow’r To act consistent with himself an hour.

1750.  in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 101. They could not, consistent with their duty … discover it to your enemies and opponents.

1842.  Bischoff, Woollen Manuf., II. 357. Consistent, however, with the character of the country, the mountain sheep are the most numerous.

  7.  Of persons or their conduct: Marked by consistency (see CONSISTENCY 5 b); constantly adhering to the same principles of thought or action.

1732.  Pope, Ep. Cobham, 226. Consistent in our follies and our sins, Here honest Nature ends as she begins.

1764.  Reid, Inquiry, v. § 7. 130. A thorough and consistent sceptic.

1875.  Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 236. Let us be consistent then, and either believe both or neither.

  B.  sb.

  † 1.  pl. ? Coexistent things or facts. Obs. rare.

1651.  Reliq. Wotton (1685), 419. Sir Thomas Overbury is still where he was, and as he was, without any alteration: The Viscount Rochester yet no way sinking in the point of Favor; which are two strange consistents.

  † 2.  Eccl. Hist. One of the fourth or highest class of penitents (consistentes) in the Eastern Church, who took their station with the faithful, but were not admitted to communion.

a. 1711.  Ken, Hymnotheo, Poet. Wks. 1721, III. 77. Consistents, who by penitential Moan Are ripe for Priestly Absolution grown; Above the Prostrate stand, and join in Pray’r, With faithful Souls, who next the Altar are.

[1753.  Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Consistentes, in church history, a kind of penitents who were allowed to assist at prayers, but could not be admitted to receive the sacrament.

1885.  Catholic Dict., 651. The consistentes stand together with the faithful, and do not go out with the catechumens.]