high-consumption
|high-consump-tion|
🇺🇸
/haɪ kənˈsʌmpʃən/
🇬🇧
/haɪ kənˈsʌmpʃ(ə)n/
uses a lot
Etymology
'high-consumption' originates from Modern English, combining the adjective 'high' (Old English 'heah') and the noun 'consumption' (from Latin 'consumptio' via Old French and Middle English); 'high' meant 'tall' or 'great', and 'consumptio' derived from Latin 'consumere' meant 'to use up'.
'consumptio' (Latin) passed into Old French and then Middle English as 'consumption', while 'heah' (Old English) developed into the Modern English 'high'; the compound 'high consumption' developed by combining these elements and is used in Modern English as 'high-consumption' in hyphenated compound contexts.
Initially, 'consumere' and later 'consumption' referred broadly to 'using up' or 'wasting'; over time the compound sense 'high consumption' came to denote a large amount or rate of use (as in energy or goods) rather than solely the act of using up.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a state or level of consuming a large amount of something; the instance of consuming a lot (often used as a compound noun or noun phrase).
The high-consumption of single-use plastics has created serious environmental problems.
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Adjective 1
characterized by or requiring a large amount of consumption (of energy, resources, goods, etc.); using a lot.
The region's high-consumption industries place heavy demands on the power grid.
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Last updated: 2025/09/05 04:25