A consequence is something that happens as a result of an action or decision. When you study hard for a spelling test, a positive consequence might be earning a good grade. When you forget to water a plant, a negative consequence is that it wilts.

Consequences can be immediate or take time to appear. Touch a hot stove and the consequence (a burned finger) happens instantly. But if you practice piano every day, the consequence of becoming a skilled musician unfolds gradually over months and years.

The word carries a sense of cause and effect: your choices create consequences. If you stay up too late playing video games, the consequence might be feeling exhausted at school the next day. If you help a classmate understand a difficult math problem, the consequence might be making a new friend or simply feeling good about being helpful.

People sometimes use consequence to specifically mean a negative result or punishment, as when a parent says, “There will be consequences” for misbehavior. But the word itself is neutral: consequences can be good, bad, or neither. Journalists chronicle the consequences of political decision. Historians examine the consequences of major battles. And every day, you experience the consequences of hundreds of small decisions, from what you eat for breakfast to how you treat the people around you.