consumer

American  

[kuhn-soo-mer] / kənˈsu mər /

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.

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consumer British  

/ 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

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consumer Scientific  

/ kən-so̅o̅′mər /

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

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consumer Cultural  

1. Someone who purchases a good for personal use.

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Other Word Forms

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

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:

• consumer vs. capital goods

Example Sentences

He’s since invested in Chinese companies developing large language models and others building robots and consumer apps using AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, he framed the battle for a game's success as more centred around their attention than their wallets, adding: "In a challenged attention economy, where consumers are awash with choice, doing something interesting is key."

From BBC

"I am long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition."

From Barron's

Stocks were mixed Friday after U.S. consumer prices rose 2.4% in January, cooler than economists’ expectations.

From Barron's

The cereal maker lowered its earnings and sales outlooks for the full year, citing weak consumer sentiment.

From Barron's

Related Words

• buyer
• customer
• purchaser
• shopper
• user