The densification rate and microstructural evolution of powder compacts densifying by solution-reprecipitation in the presence of a liquid phase are predicted with the assumption that solid particles are equisized spheres randomly packed and pulled together by a liquid that wets perfectly both the solid and its grain boundaries. The influences of applied pressure, initial packing density and of the ''sphering force'' due to changes in solid particle shape are accounted for. The resulting sintering rate retains approximately the one-third power law dependence of linear shrinkage on time predicted by Kingery, and shows good agreement with published experimental data. The analysis is extended to include the role of particle coarsening, so as to assess its importance and influence in densification kinetics. Copyright (C) 1997 Acta Metallurgica Inc.