To consider means to think carefully about something before deciding or forming an opinion. When your teacher asks you to consider both sides of an argument, she wants you to genuinely think about different viewpoints and weigh them against each other. When you consider which book to read next, you're weighing your options: maybe one sounds exciting, but another is one your friend recommended.

The word suggests more than a quick thought. Considering something means giving it real attention and mental effort. A jury considers the evidence before reaching a verdict. Your parents might consider different vacation destinations, thinking about cost, travel time, and what everyone would enjoy.

You can also use consider to mean “regard as” or “believe to be.” If you consider your neighbor a good friend, you think of them that way. When someone says “I consider that unfair,” they're stating their judgment about the situation.

Considerate people think about how their actions affect others. Notice how the same root idea applies: they consider other people's feelings before acting. Someone who slams doors late at night isn't being very considerate of people trying to sleep.