consultation
n. C / Un. a meeting with an expert to get advice or a discussion between people before making a decision. You use this when you need professional help or when a group needs to talk things over.
n. the process of seeking expert advice or the act of discussing something formally to reach a decision. Often implies a structured exchange between a professional and a client or between stakeholders.
I have a consultation with my doctor tomorrow morning.
The government began a public consultation to hear what local residents thought about the new highway project.
After a lengthy consultation with her legal team, the CEO decided that settling the dispute out of court was the most pragmatic path forward for the company's reputation.
From Middle French consultation, from Latin consultatio. Morphologically consult + -ation.
Uncountable when referring to the general process of seeking advice; countable when referring to a specific meeting or appointment.
I had a consultation about my healthI had a consultation with my doctorWhile you can have a consultation 'about' a topic, the word strongly collocates with 'with' to identify the expert or party being consulted.