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

Salivary pH was significantly lower after soda than after water at both 2 minutes and 20 minutes following consumption.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

Indonesia’s B50 biodiesel mandate is also expected to support prices by boosting domestic consumption, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

However, she added that making it the default option "risks locking in higher energy consumption" and that the priority should be designing homes that "remain comfortable for as much of the year as possible".

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Cyclosporiasis has taught Clare some hard lessons, like the importance of cleaning fruit and vegetables before consumption, which he "never" used to do.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Of course, he said, you’re bound to have the cough when you live in Limerick because this is the capital city of the weak chest and the weak chest leads to the consumption.

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

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

These are the sicknesses which the great devil causes by living among the tombs: chin-cough, itching of the body, disorders in the bowels; windy complaints, dropsy, leanness of the body, weakness and consumptions.

From The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

Related Words

• drinking
• expenditure
• utilization