Dictionary.com

consumption

[ kuhn-suhmp-shuhn ]
/ kənˈsʌmp ŹƒÉ™n /
Save This Word!

noun
the act of consuming, as by use, decay, or destruction.
the amount consumed: the high consumption of gasoline.
Economics. the using up of goods and services having an exchangeable value.
Pathology.
  1. Older Use. tuberculosis of the lungs.
  2. progressive wasting of the body.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of consumption

1350–1400; Middle English consumpcyon (<Middle French ) <Latin consÅ«mptiōn- (stem of consÅ«mptiō) a consuming, wasting, equivalent to consÅ«mpt(us), past participle of consÅ«mere to consume (con-con- + sÅ«mp- (variant stem of sÅ«mere to take up, spend) + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM consumption

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use consumption in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for consumption

consumption
/ (kənˈsʌmpŹƒÉ™n) /

noun
the act of consuming or the state of being consumed, esp by eating, burning, etc
economics expenditure on goods and services for final personal use
the quantity consumed
pathol a condition characterized by a wasting away of the tissues of the body, esp as seen in tuberculosis of the lungs

Word Origin for consumption

C14: from Latin consumptiō a wasting, from consūmere to consume
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK