consumerism
consumerism Lexical Profile
consumerism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A social and economic preoccupation with the continual acquisition of consumer goods, often criticized as excessive or wasteful.
"The documentary examined how modern holiday traditions have been shaped by rampant consumerism."
The economic theory that progressively greater consumption of goods and services is economically beneficial and drives market growth.
"Postwar economists often viewed consumerism as a vital engine for industrial recovery and job creation."
An organized movement or set of policies aimed at protecting and informing consumers by requiring honest advertising, product safety, and fair pricing.
"The rise of consumerism in the 1960s led to stricter federal regulations on automobile safety and food labeling."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Consumerism" has two nearly opposite senses depending on context: in sociology and cultural criticism, it is often used pejoratively to describe excessive materialism, whereas in economics and business law, it refers neutrally or positively to the protection of consumer rights.
• Rhymes for consumerism
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century from "consumer" plus the suffix "-ism"; the word "consume" derives via Old French from Latin consumere, meaning "to use up" or "to waste," formed from con- (altogether) and sumere (to take up).