Words / B2

k-uh-n-SULT-uh-nt/kənˈsʌltənt/

A consultant is a person paid to give expert advice: a management consultant, a consultant in the hospital (a senior specialist in British hospitals). Adviser is everyday and broader; expert is the skill, not the job title. Consult is the verb (consult a lawyer). In speech, an outside expert or a specialist is often clearer. Do not call every helpful colleague a consultant — the word implies a paid, specialist role.

Meaning

A person paid to give expert advice.

Examples

• “They hired a consultant to improve the course.”
• “They hired a consultant to redesign the timetable, then ignored the report.”
• “In British hospitals, a consultant is a senior doctor, not a visiting coach.”

Good to know

A paid expert adviser. Verb: consult. Everyday: adviser / specialist. British hospitals: senior doctor. Not any helpful colleague.

Near in meaning

adviser

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