noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
US:/kənˈsumərɪzm̩/
Received-Pronunciation:/kənˈsjumərɪzm̩/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AH0 N S UW1 M ER0 IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A materialistic attachment to possessions with a heavy use of consumables; a lifestyle based on such tendencies.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An economic theory that increased consumption is beneficial to a nation's economy in the long run.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A policy or social movement of protecting and informing consumers through honesty in advertising and packaging, as well as improved safety standards, among other measures.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically beneficial
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: economic theory
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub- Proto-Indo-European *h1em- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h1émeti Proto-Italic *emō Latin emō Latin sūmō Latin cōnsūmōder. Old French consumerbor. Middle English consumen English consume Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English consumer Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English consumerism From consumer + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
استهلاكية
— economic theory
Arabic:
نزعة استهلاكية
— economic theory
Azerbaijani:
istehlakçılıq
— economic theory
Catalan:
consumisme
— economic theory
Chinese Mandarin:
消費主義 /消费主义
(xiāofèizhǔyì)
— economic theory
Finnish:
konsumerismi
— economic theory
French:
consumérisme
— economic theory
German:
Konsumismus
— economic theory
Indonesian:
konsumerisme
— economic theory
Kazakh:
тұтынушылық
(tūtynuşylyq)
— economic theory
Korean:
소비주의
(sobijuui)
— economic theory
Malay:
کڤڠݢوناءن
(kepenggunaan)
— economic theory
Māori:
kaiwhakapetonga
— economic theory
Persian:
مصرفگرایی
(masraf-gerâyi)
— economic theory
Polish:
konsumpcjonizm
— economic theory
Portuguese:
consumismo
— economic theory
Russian:
потреби́тельство
(potrebítelʹstvo)
— economic theory
Spanish:
consumismo
— economic theory
Swedish:
konsumism
— economic theory
Urdu:
صارفیت
(sārifiyat)
— economic theory
Urdu:
صارف پرستی
(sārif-parastī)
— economic theory