Consentire

Consentire is an Italian verb meaning to allow, to permit, or to consent, and by extension to agree in principle. Etymology traces it to Latin consentire, from con- “together” and sentire “to feel,” originally conveying the idea of feeling together or being of one mind.

Usage and meaning

Consentire is transitive and can take a direct object, as in la legge consente l’accesso ai dati (the law allows access to the data). It is also used with a person or clause to indicate permitting someone to do something, for example consente a qualcuno di fare qualcosa. The past participle is consentito, used with avere in compound tenses: Ho consentito. The present indicative forms are typically consento, consenti, consente, consentiamo, consentite, consentono. The gerund is consentendo, and related forms include the noun consenso (consent), and the adjective consenziente (consenting).

Context and nuance

Consentire is common in formal, administrative, and legal contexts, where it often conveys official permission or approval. It can be synonymized with permettere and autorizzare, though each carries slightly different connotations: concessione or consentire can imply granting permission, while autorizzare emphasizes formal authorization, and permettere is a broader, everyday term for allowing.

See also

Consenso; consenso informato; autorizzazione; concessione. In Latin, consentire also meant to be in agreement, reflecting the semantic core of “being of one mind.”