noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A materialistic attachment to possessions with a heavy use of consumables; a lifestyle based on such tendencies. countable, uncountable

   "The fear of corporatism, consumerism, middle-browism and a mass reading public has driven twentieth-century cultural hierarchists."

2. 2
   a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers wordnet
3. 3
   An economic theory that increased consumption is beneficial to a nation's economy in the long run. countable, uncountable
4. 4
   the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically beneficial wordnet
5. 5
   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. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms

buybuyingbuying powerbuying upcatalog buyingcoemption

Example

More examples

"Do the Germans have any other concerns in life apart from consumerism?"

Etymology

From consumer + -ism.

Related phrases

political consumerism

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.