consumer

[kuhn-soo-mer]

noun

1. a person or thing that consumes.

2. Economics.,  a person or organization that uses a commodity or service.

3. Ecology.,  an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals.

consumer

/ kənˈsjuːmə /

noun

1. a person who acquires goods and services for his or her own personal needs Compare producer

2. a person or thing that consumes

3. (usually plural) ecology an organism, esp an animal, within a community that feeds upon plants or other animals See also decomposer producer

consumer

1. A heterotrophic organism that feeds on other organisms in a food chain.

2. ◆ 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.

3. Compare producer

consumer

1. Someone who purchases a good for personal use.

Other Word Forms

• consumership noun
• anticonsumer noun
• nonconsumer adjective
• preconsumer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of consumer¹

First recorded in 1375–1425, for the earlier sense “squanderer,” 1525–35 for the current sense; Middle English; consume + -er ¹

Example Sentences

On top of that, all Fed officials are puzzled by the dichotomy between the weak job market and strong consumer spending.

Read more on MarketWatch

Last time Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander came on the programme she promised more help for consumers to buy electric cars, making them cheaper to own.

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“For insurance companies, there’s a whole spectrum of services where other people will profit, and the consumer may not see better health outcomes.”

Read more on Salon

The result is that consumers and companies must fill out multiple questionnaires that generate similar data sets.

Read more on Barron's

Natural gas prices have been surging, benefiting gas producers but causing a problem for consumers heading into peak demand season.

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Related Words

• buyer 
• customer 
• purchaser www.thesaurus.com
• shopper 
• user