consumption

American  

[kuhn-suhmp-shuhn] / kənˈsʌmp ʃən /

noun

• consumptions
  plural

1. the act of consuming, as by use, decay, or destruction.

   Synonyms:

   utilization, exploitation, depletion

2. the amount consumed.

   the high consumption of gasoline.

3. Economics. the using up of goods and services having an exchangeable value.

4. Pathology.

   1. Older Use. tuberculosis of the lungs.

   2. progressive wasting of the body.

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consumption British  

/ kənˈsʌmpʃən /

noun

1. the act of consuming or the state of being consumed, esp by eating, burning, etc

2. economics expenditure on goods and services for final personal use

3. the quantity consumed

4. pathol a condition characterized by a wasting away of the tissues of the body, esp as seen in tuberculosis of the lungs

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonconsumption
  noun
• overconsumption
  noun
• preconsumption
  noun
• self-consumption
  noun
• underconsumption
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• consumptions
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consumption consumptions

Not all subscription-based products may be impacted equally, but consumption habits are likely to change, Tanay Jaipuri, partner at Wing Venture Capital, said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

They instead often raised expectations, forced dependency and gave rise to a vision of progress that reinforced social exclusion, bred anxieties about status, and concealed the environmental costs of a culture built on consumption.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Exports are booming, but the rest of China’s economy is in a funk, weighed down by feeble consumption and a multiyear property slump.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

“Looking ahead, we are forecasting consumption growth to remain resilient, even if it slows from its strong pace of 0.4% in the second quarter,” Chambers added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

She knew perfectly well that she had what was called consumption, would have known even if she was not reminded by a hard, exhausting cough.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Cutting meat consumptions — particularly red meat, particularly in high-income countries — represents an opportunity to lower methane emissions.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2024

Because of Covid-19 and the sanctions, this trade was stopped - and his relatives had to sell for domestic consumptions for a much lower return, making it "hard to survive".

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024

Religious celebrations — what with sacred slaughters, a stress on all things kosher, ritualized consumptions — are a particular point of tension for Jews who eat vegan.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2021

Each individual has to pay for their own consumptions choices.

From Forbes ● Apr. 5, 2015

There are consumptions and fierce neuralgias close on the track.

From The Abominations of Modern Society by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage

Related Words

• drinking
• expenditure
• utilization