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

The timing was fortunate, as Spanish consumers were eager in the 1980s for modern clothing designs after decades of austerity under the Franco regime.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"You now have slice concepts, London pizza, new haven, sourdough, Neapolitan, Detroit - it's a heavenly minefield for a pizza-loving consumer to explore."

Read more on BBC

Sure, so-called alternative meats have caught on with some consumers, but the market is still small compared with the broader meat industry.

Read more on MarketWatch

Coca-Cola created a fully AI-generated ad for Christmas last year featuring the brand's iconic truck with consumers drinking Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.

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And if businesses are not passing the costs of tariffs to consumers, they need to find ways to save costs — and that often leads to job cuts.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

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