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

The company outlined the process to pre-emptively counter consumer backlash against AI, according to Padgham.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Signs that a battery is about to fail include swelling, hissing, popping, an unusual odor and excessive heat, according to a New York Division of Homeland Security battery consumer guide.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

The number-crunching exercise came as rising gas prices due to the Iran war, and the potential impact on consumer demand, take investors’ focus off AI adoption at retail chains.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

"There's confidence, consumer confidence, price increases and a massive amount of uncertainty," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

The people who had done the persuading saw it as a sales job: They knew there was a difference between corporate and consumer loans that the rating agencies had failed to grapple with.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• buyer
• customer
• purchaser
• shopper
• user