consistency

consistency — noun

1. the degree of thickness, evenness, or firmness of a semi-liquid material — for i

1.nounB2
Definition

the degree of thickness, evenness, or firmness of a semi-liquid material — for instance, whether a sauce flows freely, stays thick like cream, or has solid lumps in it.

Example

Trang checked the consistency of the sauce before adding more water.

collocation: check + consistency of [food]

The paint had a thick, creamy consistency that spread easily on the wall.

collocation: thick/creamy + consistency

Common collocations
  • thick consistency
  • thin consistency
  • smooth consistency
  • lumpy consistency
  • creamy consistency
  • firm consistency
  • runny consistency
  • check the consistency
  • reach the right consistency
Synonyms
  • texture

    broader term — covers surface feel (rough, silky) as well as thickness; consistency focuses on thickness and evenness

  • thickness

    more specific — refers only to how thick or thin a liquid is, not lumpiness

  • density

    technical or scientific register; describes how tightly packed the particles are

Grammar Patterns

consistency of [substance]

modified by texture adjectives (thick, smooth, lumpy)

Usage Note

Subject is typically a food (sauce, batter, custard, dough), paint, or cosmetic. The word is almost always preceded by an adjective describing texture (thick, thin, runny, smooth, lumpy, creamy, firm) or a possessive/the of- structure.

Common Mistakes

The soup has a good consistency in quality.
The soup has a thick, smooth consistency.
This sense describes physical texture only, not abstract quality, so use a texture adjective.

2. the quality of acting, performing, or occurring in a predictable, unchanging man

2.nounB2
Definition

the quality of acting, performing, or occurring in a predictable, unchanging manner over time, with no unexpected shifts in behaviour, output, or outcome.

Example

The coach praised the team for the consistency of their performance throughout the season.

collocation: consistency of + performance

Naoko's writing showed remarkable consistency in style and quality across her essays.

collocation: consistency in + [noun]

Common collocations
  • consistency in performance
  • consistency in quality
  • consistency of results
  • lack of consistency
  • ensure consistency
  • maintain consistency
  • remarkable consistency
  • overall consistency
Synonyms
  • uniformity

    emphasises sameness across parts or members; more formal than consistency

  • regularity

    focuses on even intervals or repeated patterns rather than unchanging quality

  • constancy

    suggests unwavering loyalty or faithfulness; stronger emotional tone

Antonyms
  • inconsistency

    direct opposite — unpredictable shifts in behaviour, quality, or outcome

Grammar Patterns

consistency in [activity/behaviour]

consistency between [things]

lack of consistency

consistency of [results/performance]

Usage Note

Commonly paired with prepositions 'in' (consistency in effort), 'between' (consistency between versions), and 'of' (consistency of results). Frequently contrasted with 'inconsistency' in evaluative contexts such as grading, sports performance, and data management.

Common Mistakes

The cake had great consistency — it was light and fluffy.
The team showed great consistency in their results this season.
For this abstract sense, refer to behaviour or performance patterns, not physical substances.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All five words describe stability or lack of variation, but they highlight different aspects. Consistency (the most general and common) means acting or occurring the same way over time — a basketball player who scores 20 points every night has consistency. Uniformity stresses identicalness across items or members — school uniforms create uniformity, but a team could have uniform outfits yet inconsistent performance. Regularity focuses on even intervals or repeated patterns — a runner who trains every morning shows regularity, even if their speed varies. Constancy implies unwavering reliability, often with emotional weight — a friend who is always there for you shows constancy. Coherence is about ideas or parts fitting together logically — a well-argued essay has coherence, but a writer who always uses the same sentence structure has consistency, not necessarily coherence. Use consistency when you mean reliable similarity over time; use uniformity when the focus is on sameness across a group; use regularity for repeated occurrence; use constancy for dependable loyalty; and use coherence for logical connectedness.

consistency ↗uniformityregularityconstancycoherence ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • lack of consistency
  • consistency in
  • consistency between
  • consistency of
  • with consistency

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'consistentia', meaning 'a standing together' or 'firmness of material', formed from 'com-' (together) and 'sistere' (to stand or place). The word first entered English in the late 1500s with the physical meaning — how firmly a substance holds together. By the mid-1600s, it had broadened to describe behaviour that 'stands together' without contradiction, giving us the modern abstract sense of people or things being reliably the same over time.