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

OTTAWA—Retailers in Canada saw a jump in sales in November that retraces weak trade in recent months, hinting at a recovery in household consumption heading into the important holiday season.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Mannheim didn’t think of generations as concrete groupings that emerge at regularly spaced intervals, and he certainly wasn’t proposing that we could understand individual behavior or consumption trends through this framework.

From Salon

Fed decisions on rates routinely ripple globally thanks to the central role of the dollar in finance and trade and the importance of U.S. consumption to the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal

In theory, lower energy consumption means fewer business opportunities for GE Vernova.

From Barron's

In theory, lower energy consumption means less electricity needed and fewer AI business opportunities for GE Vernova.

From Barron's

Related Words

• drinking
• expenditure
• utilization