mustering consensus

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mustering consensus" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the process of gathering agreement or support from a group of people. Example: "The committee spent several hours mustering consensus on the new policy before presenting it to the board."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

That may leave the ECB with little choice but to step in more aggressively.One of Mr Trichet's strengths was his mastery at mustering consensus, where possible, on the bank's governing council.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The new Congress could alter the rules, but will have great difficulty mustering a consensus for any alternative.

The New York Times

But Democrats said they doubted that Mr. Roth could muster a consensus.

The New York Times

It is unclear, though, whether the Group of 7 can muster a consensus for forceful action.

The New York Times

The instinct for attack, at least in polemical terms, has been encouraged in recent days by what Mr. Hussein appears to have taken as a sign of American weakness: the decision by President Bush -- routinely referred to in Baghdad's propaganda as "the son of a viper," or "little Bush" -- to muster new consensus for a fresh version of the United Nations sanctions.

The New York Times

But we can muster a political consensus to take limited steps like closing the gun show loophole to save lives and hamper criminals and terrorists.

The New York Times

For all his failings over oil-for-food, Mr Annan behaved in a proper, neutral fashion over the war and should not be the fall guy for America's failure to muster an international consensus in its favour.

The Economist

The parties together control 125 seats in Sri Lanka's 225-member Pandiamentheird their consensus is vital to muster a two-thirds majority to push through any constitutional reforms that would allow power sharing with minority groups.

The New York Times

Morsi will need all the negotiating and consensus building skills he can muster in the weeks and months ahead.

Huffington Post

But, supposing that such a test still existed, the general consensus from commentators is that Lebedev would pass muster.

The Guardian

It's not enough to mobilize and out-vote the other side, what is really needed is the mustering of a sufficiency of facts so that both sides can achieve consensus or a Non-Zero solution rather than a win-lose solution.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "mustering consensus", ensure the context clearly indicates a situation where active effort is required to bring people into agreement, rather than a naturally occurring consensus.

Common error

Avoid using "mustering consensus" when a consensus already exists or arises easily. The phrase implies a deliberate and often challenging effort to achieve agreement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mustering consensus" functions as a noun phrase acting as the object of a verb or preposition. It describes the action of gathering or creating agreement among a group of people. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a valid English phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mustering consensus" is a grammatically correct and understandable phrase used to describe the process of actively building agreement, as confirmed by Ludwig. While relatively rare, it appears in reputable sources like The New York Times and The Economist. It's best suited for neutral to professional contexts where the focus is on describing the deliberate and sometimes challenging effort required to bring people into alignment. Alternatives include "building agreement" and "gathering support". When using this phrase, be mindful that it implies a more active process than a situation where consensus naturally emerges.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

building agreement

Focuses on the gradual construction of a shared understanding.

gathering support

Emphasizes the act of collecting endorsements or backing.

forging unity

Highlights the creation of a unified front or shared purpose.

cultivating accord

Suggests a more delicate and nurturing approach to achieving agreement.

developing common ground

Focuses on identifying and expanding areas of mutual understanding.

achieving unanimity

Implies reaching a state of complete agreement without dissent.

creating alignment

Highlights the process of ensuring everyone is working towards the same goal.

securing endorsement

Focuses on obtaining formal approval or backing from relevant parties.

driving agreement

Implies a more forceful or proactive approach to achieving consensus.

fostering collaboration

Emphasizes the cooperative aspect of reaching a shared decision.

FAQs

How can I use "mustering consensus" in a sentence?

"Mustering consensus" typically involves active negotiation and persuasion. For example, "The leader's primary task was "mustering consensus" among the diverse factions within the organization."

What are some alternatives to "mustering consensus"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "building agreement", "gathering support", or "forging unity" to convey a similar meaning.

Is "mustering consensus" a formal or informal expression?

"Mustering consensus" is suitable for both formal and neutral contexts, as it describes a deliberate process of achieving agreement. The formality will depend more on the surrounding vocabulary.

What does "mustering consensus" imply about the situation?

The phrase "mustering consensus" suggests that agreement is not readily available and requires active effort, negotiation, and potentially overcoming disagreements or conflicting viewpoints.