conspicuous consumption

noun

: lavish or wasteful spending thought to enhance social prestige

Examples of conspicuous consumption in a Sentence

a culture of conspicuous consumption
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Buy Now: $15 Human Finery by Quentin Bell Bell, who was Virginia Woolf’s nephew and who taught for many years as professor of History and Theory of Art at Sussex University, develops his theory of fashion starting from Thorstein Veblen’s categories of conspicuous consumption. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 4 Dec. 2024 Instead, the discourse fixates on what amounts to a form of conspicuous consumption. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024 They are increasingly attracted to authenticity—real books, vinyl records, denim—and seem to have a disdain for conspicuous consumption. Greg Petro, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 Dandified servants, then known as ‘luxury slaves,’ were used as figures of conspicuous consumption. Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conspicuous consumption 

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conspicuous consumption was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near conspicuous consumption

Cite this Entry

“Conspicuous consumption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspicuous%20consumption. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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