consumption

noun

con·​sump·​tion kən-ˈsəm(p)-shən 

1

a

: the act or process of consuming

consumption of food

consumption of resources

b

: use by or exposure to a particular group or audience

The document was not intended for public consumption.

2

: use of something

the jet's high consumption of fuel

the consumption of electricity

3

a

: tuberculosis

b

: a progressive wasting away of the body especially from pulmonary tuberculosis

Examples of consumption in a Sentence

The jet's high fuel consumption makes it expensive to operate.

Recent Examples on the Web

The sedan delivers an electric-only range of about 80 miles and achieves fuel consumption equivalent to roughly 84 miles per gallon, offering a total driving range of 1,335 miles. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025

The data showed petroleum consumption hit record highs just before the COVID-19 pandemic, then dropped, and later appeared to begin rebounding. —Sasha Hupka, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025

In June, a 4-year-old in Milwaukee was hospitalized from THC consumption after a convenience store allowed her guardian to unknowingly buy THC candy for children. —Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025

For adults, this might be broadly said to include historic shifts in media consumption—the migration, over the past seventy-odd years, from text to video, from print to screen, and the more recent rise of the attention economy. —David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English consumpcioun, from Latin consumption-, consumptio, from consumere — see consume

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing consumption

• conspicuous consumption

Rhymes for consumption

• assumption
• presumption
• resumption
• subsumption
• gumption
• sumption

Kids Definition

consumption

noun

con·​sump·​tion kən-ˈsəm(p)-shən 

1

a

: the act or process of consuming

b

: the amount consumed

2

a

: a gradual and continuous wasting away of the body especially from tuberculosis of the lungs

b

: tuberculosis

Medical Definition

consumption

noun

con·​sump·​tion kən-ˈsəm(p)-shən 

1

: a progressive wasting away of the body especially from pulmonary tuberculosis

2

: tuberculosis