consumer
Americannoun
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a person or thing that consumes.
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Economics. a person or organization that uses a commodity or service.
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Ecology. an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals.
noun
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a person who acquires goods and services for his or her own personal needs Compare producer
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a person or thing that consumes
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(usually plural) ecology an organism, esp an animal, within a community that feeds upon plants or other animals See also decomposer producer
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A heterotrophic organism that feeds on other organisms in a food chain.
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◆ Herbivores that feed on green plants and detritivores that feed on decaying matter are called primary consumers. Carnivores that feed on herbivores or detritivores are called secondary consumers, while those that feed on other carnivores are called tertiary consumers.
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Compare producer
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consumer
First recorded in 1375–1425, for the earlier sense “squanderer,” 1525–35 for the current sense; Middle English; consume + -er 1
Compare meaning
How does consumer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A consumer is someone who buys or consumes, or uses up, something. An economy could not keep functioning without consumers. Long before smorgasbords, shopping malls, or eBay, people craved pretty and tasty things. So those who spoke Latin invented the word consumere, which meant to use up, eat, or waste. Being a consumer doesn't necessarily mean you are squandering. We're all consumers when we go through the checkout line at the grocery store, for instance.
Vocabulary lists containing consumer
Material World: Shopping Lingo
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Word Generation Science - Life Science
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said that points to a likely decline in consumer spending growth in the back half of this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
State consumer laws don’t let businesses advertise products as something they’re not.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Zillow’s consumer appeal “depends to some degree on providing timely access to comprehensive and accurate real estate listings, listing media, and information,” the SEC filing says.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
“Our core consumer continues to be resilient,” said CEO Patrice Louvet on the company’s earnings call.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
But for every dollar a consumer spends on HFCS, say in a soft drink, farmers get only four cents.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
