another name for ethical non-monogamy, used interchangeably. cnm puts the emphasis on the part that makes it work: everyone involved knows and agrees. see ethical non-monogamy for the full entry.
CNM and ENM describe the same family of relationships. The only real difference is which word is doing the lifting. "Ethical" points at conduct; "consensual" points at agreement. Some people prefer "consensual" precisely because it keeps the focus on the thing that separates all of this from cheating: not a claim about being good people, just the plain fact that everyone involved said yes.
For the full picture, including what the umbrella covers and how polyamory, open relationships, and swinging sit within it, see ethical non-monogamy.
want to talk about Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM) with people who live it?
definition contributed by Tessakin