Consistent means the same every time, without contradiction. A consistent performance, consistent results, consistent with the evidence.
There are two distinct uses. Of a person or a performance it means reliably steady: a consistent player. Consistent with means not contradicting — the injuries are consistent with a fall — which is the careful language of medicine and law and stops well short of saying caused by. Note consistency, which also means the thickness of a liquid; and inconsistent, which is a serious criticism of an argument.
1adjectiveconsistentThe same every time; reliably steady.
“She has been consistent for about eleven seasons.”
2adjectivecontradictingNot contradicting something else.
“The account is consistent with everything the neighbours said.”
consistent is a quality of steadiness.
Also accepted in games: steady
Latin consistens comes from consistere, to stand firm together — con-, together, plus sistere, to stand. Something consistent stands together with itself, which is exactly what a non-contradictory account does.
Latin
consistens
English, today
consistent
Built from
Borrowed from Latin consistens. Latin consistens, present participle of cōnsistō (“to agree with; to continue”), from con- (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm (“beside, by, near, with”)) + sistō (“to cause to stand; to place, set”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European stísteh₂ti (“to be standing up; to be getting up”), from the root steh₂- (“to stand (up)”)). by surface analysis, consist + -ent.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA