consumption

American  

[kuhn-suhmp-shuhn] / kənˈsʌmp ʃən /

noun

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

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

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”; consume ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Traders await the release of U.S. personal consumption expenditures index—the Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge—later on Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Thailand, for example, curbed nonessential international travel for civil servants while the Philippines shortened workweeks, potentially straining low-income households’ consumption.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

"I noticed shorts bursts of video consumption from dogs," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Conspicuous consumption isn’t enough in the Silicon Valley bubble where he tends to wreak havoc.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

That’s what the consumption does to you, say the boys at the post office.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Related Words

• drinking
• expenditure
• utilization