Definition of "consequential" []

• Following as an effect, result, or conclusion; consequent. (adjective)
• Having important consequences; significant: "The year's only really consequential legislation was the reform of Social Security” ( New York Times). (adjective)
• Important; influential: a consequential figure in the academic community. (adjective)
• Pompous; self-important. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The most consequential is Wisconsin, where a handful of new polls now show incumbent Senator Russ Feingold trailing Republican challenger Ron Johnson."
• "Many of these battles were over matters that were complex and technical but hugely consequential, that is, precisely the kind of fights in which lobbyists and interest groups excel."
• "Where to draw the line and how to draw the line is quite problematic and consequential, which is perhaps why only legislatures instead of courts should handle re-defining "family.""