consumer

[ kuhn-soo-mer ]

/ kənˈsu mər /

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See synonyms for: consumer / consumers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that consumes.

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

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

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of consumer

1375–1425 for earlier sense “squanderer,” 1525–35 for current senses; Middle English; see consume, -er¹

OTHER WORDS FROM consumer

con·sum·er·ship, nounan·ti·con·sum·er, noun, adjectivenon·con·sum·er, adjective, nounpre·con·sum·er, noun

Words nearby consumer

consulting room, consultor, consumable, consume, consumedly, consumer, consumer credit, consumer durable, consumer goods, consumerism, consumerist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use consumer in a sentence

As the low-carb trends declined in the mid-aughts, so too did consumer appetites for blandly seasoned grain cakes.
The Rise and Fall of the Rice Cake, America’s One-Time Favorite Health Snack|Brenna Houck|September 17, 2020|Eater
In the latest example of bolstering its first-party data offering for advertisers, Vice Media Group is using a new tool from consumer reporting agency Experian and data platform Infosum.
‘Re-architecting the entire process’: How Vice is preparing for life after the third-party cookie|Lara O'Reilly|September 17, 2020|Digiday
The silver lining in all this—for the state of Americans’ personal finances, if not for retailers—seems to be a higher savings rate among consumers.
What retailers should expect going into a holiday season during a pandemic|Rachel King|September 16, 2020|Fortune
Opendoor struggled in the early days of the pandemic, laying off 600 employees, or 35% of its workforce, in April as consumers stayed at home.
Opendoor will go public via SPAC|Lucinda Shen|September 15, 2020|Fortune

It’s the very purpose of net neutrality that consumers can access everything the internet has to offer.
The EU’s top court just closed a major loophole in Europe’s net-neutrality rules|David Meyer|September 15, 2020|Fortune
She appeared to be just a happy American consumer out shopping at a big-box store.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Zumbiel Packaging A Kentucky-based manufacturer of paperboard packaging for consumer goods.
The 26 Next Hobby Lobbys|Abby Haglage|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These insights and discoveries help PepsiCo anticipate, rather than react to, an ever-changing consumer landscape.
The Science of Ingredient Innovation||December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What tastes great to an American consumer may not be what folks in China or India would choose to eat or drink.
The Science of Ingredient Innovation||December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At some point even the seemingly insatiable American consumer is going to have had his fill.
Christmas Is the New Subprime|Doug McIntyre|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But suppose that the consumer, for the things which he himself makes and sells, or for the work which he performs, receives more?
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
For a long time there were no contractors between the European sources of supply and the great consumer, the army.
The Supplies for the Confederate Army|Caleb Huse
The graduated scale was a complete failure, and equally injurious to the purchaser and consumer.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
Sir, a consumer's delegation wishes to speak with you about the new Birthday Quotas.
The Great Potlatch Riots|Allen Kim Lang
Tell that bunch of complainers I'll keep this District's economy healthy if I have to jail every consumer in it.
The Great Potlatch Riots|Allen Kim Lang

British Dictionary definitions for consumer

consumer

/ (kənˈsjuːmə) /

noun

a person who acquires goods and services for his or her own personal needsCompare producer (def. 6)

a person or thing that consumes

(usually plural) ecology an organism, esp an animal, within a community that feeds upon plants or other animalsSee also decomposer, producer (def. 8)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for consumer

consumer

[ kən-sōō′mər ]

A heterotrophic organism that feeds on other organisms in a food chain.♦ 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. Compare producer.

Cultural definitions for consumer

consumer

Someone who purchases a good for personal use.

consumer

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of consumer

OTHER WORDS FROM consumer

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How to use consumer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for consumer

Scientific definitions for consumer

Cultural definitions for consumer