consumer

American  

[kuhn-soo-mer] / kənˈsu mər /

noun

consumers plural

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

Derived Forms

• anticonsumer
  noun
• consumership
  noun
• preconsumer
  noun
• nonconsumer
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• consumers
  plural

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

Explanation

A consumer is someone who buys or consumes, or uses up, something. An economy could not keep functioning without consumers. Long before smorgasbords, shopping malls, or eBay, people craved pretty and tasty things. So those who spoke Latin invented the word consumere, which meant to use up, eat, or waste. Being a consumer doesn't necessarily mean you are squandering. We're all consumers when we go through the checkout line at the grocery store, for instance.

Example Sentences

For a Western consumer base that might still view Chinese brands as offering value over quality, top-tier endorsement can be crucial.

From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026

Moreover, booking patterns are returning to normal after being disrupted by geopolitical uncertainty, suggesting consumer confidence is gradually improving ahead of the peak summer travel season, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

"A consumer buying a kebab knows it's probably not the best quality ingredients, but it's still got to be what it says it is," said Harries.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

“This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” said Sid Shuman, Sony’s senior director of content communications.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026

As the 2000s progressed, however, consumer habits shifted away from department stores and malls, which triggered their eventual decline.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• buyer
• customer
• purchaser
• shopper
• user