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
- 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:
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.
California lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill known as the Delete Act that would allow consumers, with a single request, to have every data broker delete their personal information.
From Los Angeles Times
U.S. consumers are paying an average $2.81 a gallon for unleaded gas—about 25 cents lower than last year, according to AAA.
From Barron's
By contrast, the consumer discretionary, industrials, and consumer staples sectors don’t look particularly cheap.
From Barron's
These products have higher added value, enjoy stickier consumer demand, and are less vulnerable to the boom-and-bust pricing cycles of conventional commodity eggs.
From Barron's
In 2025, consumers remained wary about spending too much on restaurants as they dealt with higher prices elsewhere.
From MarketWatch
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.
