console

1 of 2

noun

con·​sole ˈkän-ˌsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
1
: an architectural member projecting from a wall to form a bracket or from a keystone for ornament
2
3
a
: an upright case that houses the keyboards and controlling mechanisms of an organ and from which the organ is played
b
: a combination of readouts or displays and an input device (such as a keyboard or switches) by which an operator can monitor and interact with a system (such as a computer or dubber)
4
a
: a cabinet (as for a radio or television set) designed to rest directly on the floor
b
: a small storage cabinet between bucket seats in an automobile
5
: an electronic system that connects to a display (such as a television set) and is used primarily to play video games

console

2 of 2

verb

con·​sole kən-ˈsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
consoled; consoling

transitive verb

: to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of : comfort
console a widow
I consoled myself with the thought that things could be much worse.
consoler noun
plural consolers
He was a tactful consoler and capable of great generosity to people in trouble. Ferdinand Mount
consolingly adverb

Examples of console in a Sentence

Noun a custom-built walnut console holds all of their home-theater components Verb Nothing could console her after his death. the military officer who must console the bereaved at a soldier's funeral
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Patching games on consoles requires a relatively slow and laborious certification process, but that’s not the case for updating a game on Steam. Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025 Unlike competitor Amazon, Netflix’s games business is not focused on producing AAA titles, which are traditionally played on PC and video game consoles. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
Later that evening, Cara attempts to console the girl, who's crying in her bedroom. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025 The unlikely scene stealers include a boxer in Brooklyn whose mother consoles him after a loss and warns him to control his temper in public; and the philosopher Jacques Derrida, who likens Johnson to a different sort of philosopher — the kind who falls into a well while looking at the stars. Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for console

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French

Verb

French consoler, from Latin consolari, from com- + solari to console

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of console was in 1664

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Console.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/console. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

console

1 of 2 noun
con·​sole ˈkän-ˌsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
1
a
: the part of an organ at which the organist sits and which contains the keyboard and controls
b
: a panel or cabinet with dials and switches for controlling an electronic or mechanical device
2
: a cabinet (as for a phonograph or television set) that stands on the floor
3
: an electronic system that connects to a display (as a TV set) and is used to play video games

console

2 of 2 verb
con·​sole kən-ˈsōl How to pronounce console (audio)
consoled; consoling
: to comfort in times of grief, distress, or suffering

More from Merriam-Webster on console

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!