consumer

noun

con·​sum·​er kən-ˈsü-mər 

often attributive

: one that consumes: such as

a

: one that utilizes economic goods

Many consumers make purchases on the Internet.

b

: an organism requiring complex organic compounds for food which it obtains by preying on other organisms or by eating particles of organic matter compare producer sense 3

consumership

kən-ˈsü-mər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of consumer in a Sentence

Many consumers are still not comfortable making purchases on the Internet.

Recent Examples on the Web

SSDs have largely replaced HDDs in personal computing applications and consumer applications such as DVRs are giving way for many consumers to online streaming applications served from content delivery networks associated with content stored in data centers. —Thomas Coughlin, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024

Italy remains the world’s biggest wine exporter by volume (France is bigger by worth), but the value of its sales to the five biggest consumer markets — the US, France, the UK, Germany and Japan — fell 7.3% in 2023, according to Italian Wine Union data. —Vivek Wadhwa, Fortune Europe, 19 Oct. 2024

Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here. —Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024

Both tactics have drawn the ire of consumers across social media who, understandably, feel like they’re being deceived. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see consume

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing consumer

• anti-consumer
• consumer confidence
• consumer credit
• consumer debt
• consumer durables
• consumer goods
• consumer price index

Kids Definition

consumer

noun

con·​sum·​er kən-ˈsü-mər 

1

: one that consumes

especially : a person who buys and uses up goods

2

: a plant or animal that requires complex organic compounds for food which it obtains by preying on other living things or eating particles of organic matter compare producer sense 3

Legal Definition

consumer

noun

con·​sum·​er

: one that utilizes economic goods

specifically : an individual who purchases goods for personal use as distinguished from commercial use