# "In Consultation with" - precise meaning?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-consultation-with-precise-meaning/489694>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 16, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-consultation-with-precise-meaning/489694 "2009-03-16T23:41:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![xiix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d6d6ee/32.png) [@xiix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xiix)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-consultation-with-precise-meaning/489694/1 "2009-03-16T23:41:20Z")

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So apparently I’ve pissed off some official at my school by using the phrase “in consultation with”. I contacted the official about a petition calling for someone’s resignation. We discussed the issue briefly via emails and then setup a meeting.

When I sent out a notification of the petition, I wrote “In consultation with Mr X. And Mr. Y, I am pleased to offer a solution to the problem of Z”

So my question is, did I use the phrase “in consultation with” appropiately?

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**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-consultation-with-precise-meaning/489694/2 "2009-03-17T01:43:12Z")

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If you consulted X and Y and took their views into account in formulating the proposed solution then no, you are not wrong.

However, if your consultation with X and Y was merely about, say, whether their should be a meeting, and when, and where, then suggesting that you are offering a solution in consultation with X and Y when in fact the suggested solution is all your own work is distinctly misleading. The people most likely to be upsed by this are X and Y.

What objection exactly is the school official raising?