Consumer Materialism
/kənˈsuːmər məˈtɪəriəlɪzəm/noun
A worldview or social pattern in which personal identity, status, or fulfillment is strongly associated with acquiring and using material goods.
Did you know?The Latin ancestor of “consume” could mean not only “take” but also “use up” or “destroy,” giving modern consumption an unexpectedly finite, almost sacrificial undertone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*em-
“To take or acquire; the reconstructed root behind Latin emere, “to buy” or “take.””
Classical Latin
Latin
sumere
“To take, take up, or use; formed from sub- plus emere, “to take.””
Classical Latin
Latin
consumere
“To take altogether, use up, spend, or destroy; the source of English consume.”
Latin
Latin
materia
“Material or substance, originally wood or timber; the word is related to mater, “mother,” through the idea of a source or underlying substance.”
Middle English
Anglo-French/Latin
consumer
“One who consumes or uses goods; formed from consume with the agent suffix -er.”
19th Century
English
materialism
“The doctrine that matter is fundamental, later also the tendency to place excessive value on material possessions.”
Modern English
English
consumer materialism
“A social and cultural orientation linking consumption of goods with identity, status, or personal fulfillment.”
Explore more surprising origins