The idea of lazy consensus can basically be described as: “Silence is consent”. It is used as a decision making tool in larger groups of individuals.

The main application areas of the lazy consensus are online communities where e.g. open-source software, ideas, or services are being developed. In order to be able to proceed with the work after posting the latest steps without having to wait for the majority to express their consent, the lazy consensus is assumed. That means, the posted step, feature, or idea is considered to be accepted if none of the community states otherwise. This way, the work can continue without unnecessary interruptions, whilst considering all reasonable objections.