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

At the time, Bonta said the combination would cause “irreparable harm to local news and consumers who rely on their reporting as a critical source of information.”

From Los Angeles Times

The reliance of European consumers - and those in the UK - to imported gas in particular means a greater risk to growth.

From BBC

Colorado in 2024 passed one of the country’s first bills creating consumer protections, such as preventing AI models from disqualifying job applicants based on race or gender, but it has yet to go into effect.

From The Wall Street Journal

Prices that high could push consumers into habits that slash their oil use—potentially for the long term—or trigger a recession that also hurts demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

India is facing a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas—used for cooking, heating, and powering factories—and has limited how much businesses are allowed to use to make sure consumers have enough.

From Barron's

Related Words

• buyer
• customer
• purchaser
• shopper
• user