consumer

[ kuhn-soo-mer ]

/ kənˈsu mər /

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See synonyms for: consumer / consumers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that consumes.

Economics. a person or organization that uses a commodity or service.

Ecology. an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals.

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Origin of consumer

1375–1425 for earlier sense “squanderer,” 1525–35 for current senses; Middle English; see consume, -er¹

OTHER WORDS FROM consumer

con·sum·er·ship, nounan·ti·con·sum·er, noun, adjectivenon·con·sum·er, adjective, nounpre·con·sum·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use consumer in a sentence

There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She ultimately ditched JSwipe after about a week and found her current, non-Jewish, boyfriend on OkCupid.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
An atheist counsels his fellow non-believers on how not to talk to people of faith.
The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism|Steve Neumann|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The distinction between over-policing and non-responsiveness was alive and well in Bed-Stuy.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Last summer, Louisiana also banned non-legal adoption, with offenders facing a penalty of $5,000 and up to five years in prison.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He also states that the Audiencia is virtually non-existent, and so there is no high court in which justice may be sought.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
De moi, je ne say qu'en dire, d'autant que je ne veux affirmer ny le si ny le non en ce dont je n'ay vidence.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Certes le capitaine Merveilles et ses gens monstrerent leur pit non vulgaire.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
It teaches you to take your time, or as the Germans call it, it gives you "Ruhe (repose)," the grand sine qua non!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

British Dictionary definitions for consumer

consumer

/ (kənˈsjuːmə) /

noun

a person who acquires goods and services for his or her own personal needsCompare producer (def. 6)

a person or thing that consumes

(usually plural) ecology an organism, esp an animal, within a community that feeds upon plants or other animalsSee also decomposer, producer (def. 8)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for consumer

consumer

[ kən-sōō′mər ]

A heterotrophic organism that feeds on other organisms in a food chain.♦ Herbivores that feed on green plants and detritivores that feed on decaying matter are called primary consumers. Carnivores that feed on herbivores or detritivores are called secondary consumers, while those that feed on other carnivores are called tertiary consumers. Compare producer.

Cultural definitions for consumer

consumer

Someone who purchases a good for personal use.

consumer

Origin of consumer

OTHER WORDS FROM consumer

Words related to consumer

How to use consumer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for consumer

Scientific definitions for consumer

Cultural definitions for consumer