consummate adj

1 having or revealing supreme mastery or skill; "a consummate artist"; "consummate skill"; "a masterful speaker"; "masterful technique"; "a masterly performance of the sonata"; "a virtuoso performance" [syn: masterful, masterly, virtuoso(a)]

2 perfect and complete in every respect; having all necessary qualities; "a complete gentleman"; "consummate happiness"; "a consummate performance" [syn: complete]

3 without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers; "an arrant fool"; "a complete coward"; "a consummate fool"; "a double-dyed villain"; "gross negligence"; "a perfect idiot"; "pure folly"; "what a sodding mess"; "stark staring mad"; "a thoroughgoing villain"; "utter nonsense" [syn: arrant(a), complete(a), consummate(a), double-dyed(a), everlasting(a), gross(a), perfect(a), pure(a), sodding(a), stark(a), staring(a), thoroughgoing(a), utter(a)]

1 of marriages

2 make perfect; bring to perfection

English

Etymology 1

Probably from consumere.

Pronunciation

• AHD: kŏn'syo͝omət or kən'sŭmĭt
• IPA: (RP): /ˈkɒnsjʊmət/ or /kənˈsʌmɪt/; (US): /ˈkɑnsəmət/ or /kənˈsʌmɪt/
• SAMPA: (RP): /"kQnsjUm@t/ or /k@n"sVmIt/; (US): /"kAns@m@t/ or /k@n"sVmIt/

Adjective

1. Complete, perfect, absolute.

   Always the consummate gentleman, he always knows how to treat a woman.

Synonyms

• (complete): absolute, complete, perfect, sheer, total, utter

Translations

• Chinese: 完美 (wánměi)
• Russian: законченный, совершенный, превосходный, высококвалифицированный; виртуозный, законченный, отпетый (the consummate hypocrite — законченный лицемер)

Etymology 2

unknown

Pronunciation

• AHD: (RP): kŏn'syo͝omāt; (US): kŏn'səmāt
• IPA: (RP): /ˈkɒnsjʊmeɪt/ (US): /ˈkɑnsəmeɪt/
• SAMPA: (RP): /"kQnsjUmeIt/; (US): /"kAns@meIt/

Verb

1. To bring to completion (a task, project, goal, etc.).
2. To make (a marriage) binding by engaging in sexual intercourse.

   After the reception, he escorted her to the honeymoon suite to consummate their marriage.

Synonyms

• (bring to completion): complete, finish, round off

Translations

• Russian: делать совершенным, доводить до совершенства, совершенствоваться, заканчивать

As a verb, consummate means to bring something to its completion, such as a transaction, concept, plan or action.

Technically speaking, consummation in the marriage context refers to its actual beginning, with an official ceremony of a wedding, witnesses to the event, and a public announcement of the act. In some Western traditions, a marriage is not considered a binding contract until and unless it has been consummated. In a colloquial context, marriages, love relationships, or relations for pleasure, are said to be consummated when the act of sexual intercourse has taken place after the ceremony or confession of love.

Within the Catholic Church, a marriage that has not yet been consummated, regardless of the reason for non-consummation, can be dissolved by the Pope (see also canons 1697-1706). Additionally, an inability or an intention to refuse to consummate the marriage is probable grounds for an annulment. Catholic canon law defines (canon 1061 §1) that a marriage has been consummated when the "spouses have performed between themselves in a human fashion a conjugal act which is suitable in itself for the procreation of offspring, to which marriage is ordered by its nature and by which the spouses become one flesh." Some theologians, such as Fr. John A. Hardon, have stated that contraceptive intercourse does not consummate a marriage.

In Colonial America, hand-fast marriages (Handfasting) were allowed in several of the Colonies. These marriages were not done in church; instead there were public verbal commitments made between the man and the woman, and then they consummated it by having sexual relations. If the woman did not become pregnant within one year, the marriage was considered annulled. If she did become pregnant, the relationship would automatically become a fully-recognized marriage. http://www.buddybuddy.com/mar-trad.html

The adjective consummate describes something that is complete or a person that is supremely skilled.

Etymology

The word consummate is probably derived from the Latin roots 'com-', and 'summa', meaning 'with' and 'highest' respectively.

See also

• Annullment
• Nullity (conflict)
• Marriage

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia: Sacrament of Marriage

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