consumer

noun, often attributive con·sum·er \ kən-ˈsü-mər \

Definition of consumer

: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 3

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consumership

play \kən-ˈsü-mər-ˌship\ noun

See consumer defined for English-language learners

See consumer defined for kids

Examples of consumer in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of consumer from the Web

Consumer spending and business investment were stronger than initially reported.

— luke kawa, Bloomberg.com, "Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day," 30 Aug. 2017
Will Now Talk Through Speakers, Fridges, and Even VacuumsGoogle’s push to place its digital assistant, the search giant’s new product centerpiece, inside every consumer appliance imaginable is edging forward.

— jaclyn gallucci, Fortune, "How a Black Card for Millennials Went Down in Flames," 30 Aug. 2017
Elizabeth Warren and other Democractic senators wrote DeVos asking her to choose someone with a history of consumer protection and managing attorneys.

— luke darby, GQ, "Betsy DeVos' Newest Hire Was a Dean of DeVry, Everyone's Favorite Sham University," 30 Aug. 2017
Its primary task is reducing the independence of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is scorned by the banking fraternity but praised by consumer advocates.

— robert reed, chicagotribune.com, "If anti-consumer bank law is passed, more Wells Fargo-like scandals are coming," 29 Aug. 2017
Hurricane Harvey just made landfall Friday night, but lawyers and a consumer watchdog groups are urging victims of the storm to file insurance claims before a new law takes effect on Friday.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "Hurricane Harvey: Here's Why Texans Might Need To File Insurance Claims ASAP," 28 Aug. 2017
For most consumers, heuristics—essentially rules of thumb—make the decision, according to Caldwell.

— ryan craggs, CNT, "How Airlines Trick You into Buying 'Cheap' Flights," 23 Aug. 2017
The company offers full-service truck leasing, contract fleet maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, and used truck sales through a network of approximately 680 service locations and more than 2,300 truck rental locations.

— john gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Penske's latest deal is nearly $100M warehouse distribution center in Romulus," 22 Aug. 2017
Spending on experiences like food, travel, and recreation is up for all consumers, making up more than 20 percent of Americans’ consumption expenses in 2015.

— jessica mendoza, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why it's becoming cool to live in your car – or a 150-sq. ft. apartment," 22 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'consumer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.