A consultation is a meeting where people seek advice or discuss something important with an expert or authority. When your parents schedule a consultation with your teacher, they're meeting to talk about your progress and ask questions. When a doctor offers a consultation, they're examining a patient and providing medical advice about treatment options.

A consultation is purposeful and focused, with a specific goal in mind. Architects hold consultations with families before designing their homes. Lawyers provide consultations to explain legal options. Scientists might have a consultation with colleagues before starting a major experiment.

In a consultation, one person typically has expertise while the other seeks help or information, though both contribute to the discussion. If your principal calls your parents in for a consultation about starting a new gifted program, everyone shares ideas even though the principal leads the meeting. The key is that people come together specifically to think through a problem, make a decision, or plan something important.

You might also hear the word used when organizations seek public input: a city might hold a public consultation about building a new park, inviting residents to share their thoughts before making final plans.