From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishconsumerismcon‧sum‧er‧ism /kənˈsjuːmərɪzəm $ -ˈsuː-/ noun [uncountable] 1 PPPthe belief that it is good to buy and use a lot of goods and services – often used to show disapproval the growth of consumerism2 PPBBTactions to protect people from unfair prices, advertising that is not true etc —consumerist adjective
Examples from the Corpus
consumerism• Green consumerism is a hopeful token of more substantial change.• But the growth in consumer debt should not be simply seen and condemned as a complete descent into mindless consumerism.• Fans of the novel claim that its stomach-turning violence is a brilliant metaphor for the 1980s culture of consumerism and self-gratification.• The culture-ideology of consumerism in the Third World will be the subject of Chapter 5.• The extreme western edge of the square has the now compulsory big city billboards extolling the virtues of consumerism.• Here, we showcase our consumerism.• The Eastern Bloc has been transformed into a gigantic Enterprise Zone for western capitalists eager to reap the benefits of suppressed consumerism.• Here protection was being offered to the husband, but also to the wife against her apparently uncontrollable consumerism.From Longman Business Dictionaryconsumerismcon‧sum‧er‧ism /kənˈsjuːmərɪzəm-ˈsuː-/ noun [uncountable]1ECONOMICS the idea or belief that buying things is very important for peopleConsumerism is the new religion, and department stores are important temples.2MARKETING the activity of protecting consumers from bad products, dishonest producers etc 