Print this Page Close this Window

Consummate

(pronounced kon-suh-mut or kun-sum-it)  adjective

Definition

1. complete or perfect in every detail or particular.  2. very highly skilled or accomplished.  3. of the highest degree; complete; absolute; ultimate.

Main Example

• It's been nearly six years since the death of Louis Rukeyser, the host of the hugely popular Friday night TV show "Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser" which ran on PBS for over 30 years. But regretfully, this author sees no signs that American television will soon be graced by someone who can even remotely match Rukeyser's constellation of highly admirable attributes. Rukeyser's brilliant wit, staggering grasp of the goings-on in the world of business and finance, extraordinary self-confidence, a command of the language that was second to none, and many other enviable traits made him a consummate interviewer of his panelists and guests.

Workplace Examples

• Steve, our division manager, is a consummate leader. He is one guy who can get people to willingly embrace tasks that they would ordinarily avoid like the plague.
• Some questions during the Q&A were really tough, but thanks to her consummate preparation, Tiffany handled them perfectly.

Other Examples

• this author saying: "One of the CBS 'Sunday Morning' segments that has impacted me profoundly was on happiness. Among other things, it helped me realize that consummate happiness is a way of life, not a destination."
• a consummate professional, dealmaker, or pianist; somebody who is a consummate worrier or a consummate liar; an ancient Mesopotamian artifact that reflects consummate skill; Georgetown University's Bruce Hoffman widely regarded as a consummate expert on counterterrorism; Bill Clinton, a consummate campaigner; Amazon.com, a consummate e-commerce company
• Lyndon Baines Johnson described by some as a "consummate master of political strategy"; a consummate master of the flute; a consummate entrepreneur: someone who has created one highly successful company after another
• in a landmark ruling allowing police to stop and search a person who runs away at the sight of a police officer, the U.S. Supreme Court saying, "Headlong flight, wherever it occurs, is the consummate act of evasion: it is not necessarily indicative of wrongdoing, but it is certainly suggestive of such."
• the consummate documentary filmmaker Ken Burns who first rocketed to fame with his highly acclaimed PBS series "The Civil War"

© 2013 V.J. Singal
No part of this may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author.