consumption
Americannoun
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the act of consuming, as by use, decay, or destruction.
- Synonyms:
- utilization, exploitation, depletion
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the amount consumed.
the high consumption of gasoline.
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Economics. the using up of goods and services having an exchangeable value.
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Pathology.
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Older Use. tuberculosis of the lungs.
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progressive wasting of the body.
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noun
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the act of consuming or the state of being consumed, esp by eating, burning, etc
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economics expenditure on goods and services for final personal use
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the quantity consumed
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pathol a condition characterized by a wasting away of the tissues of the body, esp as seen in tuberculosis of the lungs
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consumption
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consumpcyon, from Middle French, from Latin consūmptiōn-, stem of consūmptiō “employment, use, waste,” from consūmpt(us) “used up” (past participle of consūmere “to use up, waste”; see consume) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Consumption means using, buying or eating something. If we don't reduce our energy consumption, we will run out of fuel. Conspicuous consumption is buying something to show off. Consumption is related to the verb consume, which means to eat, use, or buy. You will often read about consumption in terms of rate––how fast we are using up a particular resource. If you consume ten cookies in an hour, your rate of consumption is ten cookies an hour. Sustainable? Let's hope not.
Vocabulary lists containing consumption
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Natural Resources and the Environment - Introductory
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has seen a large change in "consumption, attitudes and lifestyle".
From BBC • May 25, 2026
The holiday-shortened trading week includes the release of another inflation reading, in the form of the personal consumption expenditures index, which is expected to rise 3.8% in April from a year ago.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
Flavanol levels were still reduced, which suggests PPO activity may continue to matter after consumption, possibly in the stomach.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2026
Among other reform ideas, Warsh has discussed changing how the Fed thinks about inflation, including greater emphasis on “better” measures such as the Dallas Fed’s trimmed-mean personal consumption expenditures index.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
What was on view for general consumption was Desdemona’s face: her large, sorrowful eyes, her pale, candlelit com-plexion.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
