

con⋅sid⋅er⋅a⋅tion
[kuh
n-sid-uh-rey-shuh
n]
| 1. | the act of considering; careful thought; meditation; deliberation: I will give your project full consideration. |
| 2. | something that is or is to be kept in mind in making a decision, evaluating facts, etc.: Age was an important consideration in the decision. |
| 3. | thoughtful or sympathetic regard or respect; thoughtfulness for others: They showed no consideration for his feelings. |
| 4. | a thought or reflection; an opinion based upon reflection. |
| 5. | a recompense or payment, as for work done; compensation. |
| 6. | importance or consequence. |
| 7. | estimation; esteem: He is held in great consideration by the community. |
| 8. | Law.
|
| 9. | in consideration of,
|
| 10. | take into consideration, to take into account; consider: We failed to take into consideration the large number of tourists attending the exhibition. |
1350–1400; ME (< AF) < L consīderātiōn- (s. of consīderātiō), equiv. to consīderāt(us) (see considerate ) + -iōn- -ion

1. reflection, contemplation, rumination, attention. 3. kindness, kindliness, concern. 5. remuneration, fee. 6. weight, significance, moment. 7. See honor.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Consideration
Con*sid`er*a"tion\, n. [L. consideratio: cf. F. consid?ration.]1. The act or process of considering; continuous careful thought; examination; contemplation; deliberation; attention. Let us think with consideration. --Sir P. Sidney. Consideration, like an angel, came. --Shak. 2. Attentive respect; appreciative regard; -- used especially in diplomatic or stately correspondence. The undersigned has the honor to repeat to Mr. Hulseman the assurance of his high consideration. --D. Webster. The consideration with which he was treated. --Whewell. 3. Thoughtful or sympathetic regard or notice. Consideration for the poor is a doctrine of the church. --Newman. 4. Claim to notice or regard; some degree of importance or consequence. Lucan is the only author of consideration among the Latin poets who was not explained for . . . the Dauphin. --Addison. 5. The result of delibration, or of attention and examonation; matured opinion; a reflection; as, considerations on the choice of a profession. 6. That which is, or should be, taken into account as a ground of opinion or action; motive; reason. He was obliged, antecedent to all other considerations, to search an asylum. --Dryden. Some considerations which are necessary to the forming of a correct judgment. --Macaulay. 7. (Law) The cause which moves a contracting party to enter into an agreement; the material cause of a contract; the price of a stripulation; compensation; equivalent. --Bouvier. Note: Consideration is what is done, or promised to be done, in exchange for a promise, and "as a mere advantage to the promisor without detriment to the promisee would not avail, the proper test is detriment to the promisee." --Wharton.Cite This Source
consideration
- Something of value provided by one party to another. For example, a person might provide an idea or labor to a business in exchange for shares of ownership.
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Main Entry: con·sid·er·a·tion
Function: noun
: something (as an act or forbearance or the promise thereof) done or given by one party for the act or promise of another —see also CONTRACT —compare MOTIVE
NOTE: Except in Louisiana, consideration is a necessary element to the creation of a contract. The consideration must result from bargaining by the parties, and must be the thing that induces the mutual promises.
ad·e·quate consideration
: a consideration that is reasonably equivalent in value to the thing for which it is given
fair consideration
: a consideration that is reasonable and given in good faith; specifically : something with a reasonably equivalent value that under the laws of fraudulent conveyances is given in good faith in exchange for the transfer of property
good consideration
1 : a consideration based on a family relationship or natural love and affection
2 : VALUABLE CONSIDERATION in this entry
NOTE: When used as defined in sense 1 good consideration is the opposite of valuable consideration. However good consideration is also sometimes used to mean valuable consideration. Good consideration of the kind denoted by sense 1 cannot create an enforceable contract.
new consideration
: something according to section 6-106 of the Uniform Commercial Code that becomes payable in exchange for the transfer of bulk goods
nominal consideration
: consideration consisting of a nominal amount
past consideration
: something that has already been given or some act that has already been performed that cannot therefore be induced by the other party's thing, act, or promise in exchange and is not truly a consideration
valuable consideration
: a consideration that confers some benefit having pecuniary value on one party to a contract or imposes a detriment having pecuniary value on the other
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consideration
see in consideration of; take into account (consideration); under consideration.
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consideration
in contract law, an inducement given to enter into a contract that is sufficient to render the promise enforceable in the courts. The technical requirement is either a detriment incurred by the person making the promise or a benefit received by the other person. Thus, the person seeking to enforce the promise must have paid, or bound himself to pay, money, parted with goods, spent time in labour, or foregone some profit or legal right. In a contract for the sale of goods, the money paid is the consideration for the vendor, and the property sold is the consideration for the purchaser.
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