Consumption Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms 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.

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

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But it is hard to find any industry hit by tariffs that isn’t concerned about consumption and inflation in the year ahead.

From Barron's

"Both brands operate in the adult soft drinks market, which is benefitting from the consumer trend of reduced alcohol consumption," the company said.

From BBC

When the law was adopted, domestic mining capacity for the strategic raw materials accounted for around eight percent of the 27-country EU's annual consumption.

From Barron's

"Life was cheap in this ecosystem and the lives of predators such as the Allosaurus were likely fueled by the consumption of these baby sauropods."

From Science Daily

Identifying which animals and systems are sentient could influence animal research practices, farming, food consumption, and conservation strategies.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• drinking
• expenditure
• utilization

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.