Agency Dictionary
consultant
nounPronunciation: /kənˈsʌl.tənt/
In Portuguese: consultora
Business & OrganizationsWhat does “consultant” mean?
A professional who provides expert advice, diagnostic analysis, and strategic guidance in a specific discipline or industry.
Etymology
From French consultant or Latin consultans, consultantis, present participle of consultare, "to deliberate, to ask advice", a frequentative of consulere, "to take counsel". In 17th-century English a consultant was a person who consults, for instance one who asks an oracle. The direction reversed in the 19th century, when the word came to name the physician called in for an opinion and then any expert who gives professional advice.
Usage note
In British and Irish hospitals a consultant is a senior doctor, a sense unknown in American English.
Synonyms
- adviser
- counselor
- expert
- specialist
Often confused with
- counselor
- A counselor gives personal, legal or psychological guidance; a consultant is hired for expert advice on a business or technical problem.
Word family
- consult
- consultation
- consultancy
- consultative
- consulting
Usage examples
Now tell us a little bit about your creative process within design whether you are acting as a consultant, a creative director, or the actual designer.
Concepts
- Audience EmpathyAudience empathy is the strategic practice of adopting the prospective customer's mindset, daily habits, and emotional worldview to guide marketing and design choices. By…
- Strategic ChecklistA strategic checklist is a methodical operational tool used by brand consultants to audit, verify, and implement core organizational requirements before launching public…
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- stakeholdernoun
- A person or group with an interest in a project or an organization and affected by its results, such as clients, managers, investors or users.
- Baselinenoun
- A clearly defined reference point or standard benchmark against which measurements and quality levels are compared. In industry analysis, it defines the current standard of work.
- Bottlenecknoun
- A point of congestion or obstruction that impedes progress or restricts flow in a production or organizational system.
- Byproductnoun
- A secondary, often unexpected result or incidental creation derived from an ongoing process or effort.
- diagnosticnoun
- An analytical determination or judgment identifying the underlying nature, cause, or source of a problem.
- Dinosaurnoun
- Informally, a person, organization, or established institution that has survived for a long time, sometimes perceived as traditional or resistant to change. In business, it highlights corporate longevity across eras.
- Dispensarynoun
- A specialized retail storefront or clinic legally authorized to dispense medical or recreational products, particularly cannabis. In branding, it represents the key point of consumer sale.
- Entrepreneurnoun
- An individual who founds and operates a business, assuming personal financial and operational risks in pursuit of opportunity. In creative disciplines, it defines studio owners.
- Inventorynoun
- A complete itemized catalog or aggregate stock of raw materials, parts, works in progress, and finished goods held in custody by a business enterprise for production or commercial sale.
- Logisticsnoun
- The detailed organization, planning, and practical implementation of complex operations involving the movement, transport, and maintenance of materials, goods, and personnel across distribution channels.
- Monetizeverb
- To convert an activity, audience, digital asset, or service into legal currency or financial revenue.
Also from these editions: terms
- asynchronousadjective
- Not occurring at the same time or coordinated simultaneously, describing workflows or interactions handled independently across time.
- cannabisnoun
- A genus of flowering plants cultivated for industrial fiber, wellness oils, and medicinal applications.
- elegancenoun
- The quality of being graceful, stylish, refined, and harmoniously proportioned in appearance, demeanor, or design.
- idealisticadjective
- Characterized by the pursuit of noble principles, high moral standards, and the expectation of positive outcomes.
- iustusadjective
- A classical Latin concept describing an individual or action that is upright, fair, lawful, and morally sound.
- noiradjective
- Characterized by cynical attitudes, dramatic shadows, moral ambiguity, and moodiness reminiscent of vintage crime cinema.
- positioningnoun
- The strategic marketing effort to establish a distinctive and desirable image for a brand or product in the customer's mind.
- roboticsnoun
- The branch of engineering and technology devoted to the design, construction, and operation of automated machines.
- salutationsnoun
- Formal gestures, greetings, or opening words of courteous address delivered upon meeting someone or beginning a discourse.
- spesnoun
- The classical Latin noun and personified Roman goddess representing hope, anticipation of good fortune, and enduring optimism.
- syllabusnoun
- An academic document outlining the topics, schedule, and required competencies for a specific course of study.
Also from these editions: concepts
- Carolina JustusCarolina Justus, interviewed in Creative.2 of the Agency editorial, is a designer with experience in sales who comes from Paraguay and speaks three languages. She…
- Lao TzuLao Tzu is the ancient Chinese figure traditionally credited with writing the Tao Te Ching, a foundational text of Taoism. In Creative.2, interviewee Carolina Justus…
- SenecaSeneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher and writer of the first century, known for his moral essays and letters on ethics and practical wisdom. In Creative.2, interviewee…
- Wes AndersonWes Anderson is an American filmmaker known for a visually distinctive style combining symmetry, pastel palettes and deadpan humour. In Creative.2, interviewee Carolina…
- Applied CurriculumAn applied curriculum is an educational framework that prioritizes actionable technical competencies, direct experimentation, and pragmatic problem-solving over abstract…
- Brand EntrepreneurshipBrand entrepreneurship is the economic transition from executing design and marketing as an external employee to founding, owning, and directing proprietary corporate…
- Cinematic FramingCinematic framing is the narrative practice of conceptualizing personal memories, career milestones, and existential phases through the stylistic conventions of movie…
- Cultural ImmersionCultural immersion is the transformative experience of living independently within a foreign social environment to absorb new linguistic, academic, and interpersonal…
- Idealistic OptimismIdealistic optimism is a psychological orientation that maintains unwavering faith in human goodness and positive future outcomes despite worldly cynicisms. Rather than…
- Sales-Marketing AlignmentSales-marketing alignment is the strategic coordination of commercial deal-closing insights with broad marketing campaigns to maximize revenue growth. When frontline…
- Stoic PhilosophyStoic philosophy is an ancient Hellenistic and Roman school of ethics founded on the discipline of personal virtue, rational self-mastery, and the acceptance of external…