consumers

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralbusiness

   People who buy or use goods and services for their own needs, not for resale.

   Grammar: Plural of 'consumer'; the singular takes 'a': 'a consumer', 'the consumers'.

   Patterns

   • consumers buy something
   • protect consumers
   • consumers of something

   Consumers in the survey said they would pay more for longer warranties.

   New rules protect consumers when a flight is canceled.

   Consumers are spending less this winter than last year.

2. 2nounpluralbiologytechnical

   Living things that eat other living things in a food chain.

   Grammar: Plural; the singular 'consumer' is used for one such organism.

   Patterns

   • primary consumers
   • consumers in a food chain

   In this pond, small fish are the main consumers of the water fleas.

   Ecologists divide the food web into producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Word forms

Common combinations

consumers spend

Consumers spend more when they feel confident about their jobs.

protect consumers

The agency was set up to protect consumers from misleading ads.

consumer demand

Consumer demand for electric cars keeps rising.

consumer goods

The factory switched from making tools to making consumer goods.

Synonyms and how they differ

buyers

Emphasizes the act of paying; consumers also covers people who use something without buying it.

customers

Refers to people who buy from one particular shop or company, not the public in general.

users

Focuses on using a product, especially software; it says nothing about paying.

Opposites

Word family

consumer noun

One person who buys or uses goods and services.

consume verb

To use up or eat or drink something.

consumption noun

The act or amount of using goods, energy, or food.

consumerism noun

A culture or system based on buying many goods.

Commonly confused: consumers or costumers?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “consumers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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