Definition of "consolation" []

• The act or an instance of consoling. (noun)
• The state of being consoled. (noun)
• One that consoles; a comfort: Your kindness was a consolation to me in my grief. (noun)
• Sports A second, smaller tournament or round of play for participants who have been eliminated before the final of a tournament, often to determine third and fourth place. (noun)

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.

• "Their main consolation is that they expect injured stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler to return before the postseason."
• "The main consolation is that no one at the wedding is even going to look atg me, so there is no point even caring."
• "Sanford sent Palin what he called a consolation prize-sized portion of shrimp, grits and She-Crab soup from a Charleston restaurant."