conspicuous consumption

noun

Definition of conspicuous consumptionnext
as in splurge

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of conspicuous consumption As a means of conspicuous consumption the canon is poorly served, but as a destination to explore, as a complicated, contradictory, sometimes boring and often beautiful place, there can be much to be gained through a meander, a perusal, a stroll. — Literary Hub, 21 May 2026 People in normal circumstances buy with discernment that penalizes conspicuous consumption. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 May 2026 An online amalgam of conspicuous consumption, natural wonders, and manmade spectacles — like the world’s tallest tower, Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque, and even, yes, the vivid green of Dubai Chocolate — has propelled the emirates to superlative measures of tourism and consumer behavior. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026 This was not cultural architecture as economic engine, but architectural complexity as conspicuous consumption—a questionable evolution, if also an appropriate one for the most valuable luxury conglomerate in the world. — Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conspicuous consumption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conspicuous consumption
  1. splurge
  2. wastefulness
  3. lavishness
  4. generosity
  5. extravagance
  6. profusion
Noun
  • Shoppers showed their willingness to spend in September even after a better-than-expected splurge in August.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • For this story, Jessie scoured Nordstrom for a variety of ways to wear chocolate brown suede, including some more affordable options and splurge-worthy investments.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of splurge
Noun
  • Such wastefulness in the first half prevented Louisiana from dragging USC into a dogfight.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Your hard truth is less likely to change her mind than to start an argument about the wastefulness of taking two cars.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of wastefulness
Noun
  • Bezos and Sánchez Bezos received backlash for the event’s lavishness during global hardships.
    — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Vanity Fair of today embodies a certain sort of lavishness—an often unironic appreciation of and yearning for rich people things.
    — Naomi Skwarna, hazlitt.net, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of lavishness
Noun
  • Aunt Jackie, revealing her own sense of humor and generosity, gave Mum a green four-leaf clover-pin with a small diamond on each leaf.
    — Kerry Kennedy, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The conflict between pragmatism and generosity begins at a small scale and incrementally escalates.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of generosity
Noun
  • In 20 years’ time, one of the extravagances in these pages may be as commonplace as the smartphone is now.
    — John Vorwald, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
  • When Vreeland’s extravagance proved too much for Condé Nast, she was let go, in 1971.
    — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of extravagance
Noun
  • That same barbecue sauce is served with a gargantuan chicken cutlet sheathed in a crunchy golden crust of gluten-free panko crumbs and a profusion of sesame seeds.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Making pilgrims safe and comfortable But pilgrimages did not go away, nor did the profusion of information surrounding them.
    — Shay Rabineau, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of profusion

Browse Nearby Words

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conspicuous consumption
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Cite this Entry

“Conspicuous consumption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conspicuous%20consumption. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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