To seek advice from an expert
To give advice condescendingly
You consult an expert. You defer to superior knowledge. The word implies humility, the recognition that someone else knows better than you do.
But a man might “consult” his wife by informing her of what she is going to do. He might “consult” a colleague by delivering a verdict framed as a question. The consulting is not an inquiry. It is an announcement wearing an inquiry’s clothing.
The contranym hides the power move in plain sight. One meaning is genuinely humble; the other is paternalistic. English lets the second hide behind the first with plausible deniability. Ask anyone who was “consulted” on a decision that had already been made.
Consulting someone is supposed to mean you value their input. In practice it often means you want their name on the outcome without giving them any actual influence over it.
“Plausible deniability, wearing a helpful face.”