2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Consultancy is expert advice on a particular subject which a person or group is paid to provide to a company or organization. □ The project provides both consultancy and training.
con|sult|ant ◆◇◇ /kənsʌ ltənt/ (consultants )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A consultant is an experienced doctor with a high position, who specializes in one area of medicine. [mainly BRIT ] □ Shirley's brother is now a consultant heart surgeon in Sweden. in AM, usually use specialist 2 N‑COUNT A consultant is a person who gives expert advice to a person or organization on a particular subject. □ …a team of management consultants sent in to reorganise the department. SYNONYMS consultant NOUN 2
specialist: …a specialist in diseases of the nervous system.
adviser: …a careers adviser.
authority: He's universally recognized as an authority on Russian affairs.
expert: …an expert on trade in that area.
con|sul|ta|tion /kɒ nsəlte I ʃ ə n/ (consultations )
1 N‑VAR A consultation is a meeting which is held to discuss something. Consultation is discussion about something. □ [+ with ] Next week he'll be in Florida for consultations with the President. □ [+ with ] The plans were drawn up in consultation with the World Health Organisation.
2 N‑VAR A consultation with a doctor or other expert is a meeting with them to discuss a particular problem and get their advice. Consultation is the process of getting advice from a doctor or other expert. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ with ] A personal diet plan is devised after a consultation with a nutritionist.
3 N‑COUNT A consultation is a meeting where several doctors discuss a patient and his or her condition and treatment. [AM ]
4 N‑UNCOUNT Consultation of a book or other source of information is looking at it in order to find out certain facts. □ The studies available for consultation should help to avoid the pitfalls.
con|sul|ta|tive /kənsʌ ltət I v/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A consultative committee or document gives advice or makes proposals about a particular problem or subject. □ …the consultative committee on local government finance.
con|su lt|ing room (consulting rooms ) N‑COUNT A doctor's or therapist's consulting room is the room in which they see their patients. [BRIT ] in AM, use doctor's office
con|sum|able /kənsjuː məb ə l, [AM ] -suː -/ (consumables ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] Consumable goods are items which are intended to be bought, used, and then replaced. □ …demand for consumable articles. ● N‑COUNT [usu pl] Consumable is also a noun. □ Suppliers add computer consumables, office equipment and furniture to their product range.
con|sume /kənsjuː m, [AM ] -suː m/ (consumes , consuming , consumed )
1 VERB If you consume something, you eat or drink it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Many people experienced a drop in their cholesterol levels when they consumed oat bran.
2 VERB To consume an amount of fuel, energy, or time means to use it up. □ [V n] New refrigerators consume 70 percent less electricity than older models.
3 VERB If a feeling or idea consumes you, it affects you very strongly indeed. □ [V n] The memories consumed him.
4 → see also consumed , consuming
con|sumed /kənsjuː md, [AM ] -suː md/ ADJ If you are consumed with a feeling or idea, it affects you very strongly indeed. [LITERARY ] □ [+ with/by ] They are consumed with jealousy at her success.
con|sum|er ◆◆◇ /kənsjuː mə r , [AM ] -suː -/ (consumers ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A consumer is a person who buys things or uses services. □ …improving public services and consumer rights. SYNONYMS consumer NOUN 1
buyer: Car buyers are more interested in safety and reliability than speed.
customer: Our customers have very tight budgets.
con|su m|er cre d|it N‑UNCOUNT Consumer credit is money that is lent to people by organizations such as banks, building societies, and shops so that they can buy things. □ New consumer credit fell to $3.7 billion in August.
con|su m|er du |rable (consumer durables ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Consumer durables are goods which are expected to last a long time, and are bought infrequently. [BRIT ] in AM, use durable goods
con|su m|er goods N‑PLURAL Consumer goods are items bought by people for their own use, rather than by businesses. Compare capital goods .
con|sum|er|ism /kənsjuː mər I zəm, [AM ] -suː -/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Consumerism is the belief that it is good to buy and use a lot of goods. □ They have clearly embraced Western consumerism.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Consumerism is the protection of the rights and interests of consumers.
con|sum|er|ist /kənsjuː mər I st, [AM ] -suː -/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Consumerist economies are ones which encourage people to consume a lot of goods. [BUSINESS , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …our consumerist society.
co n|sum|er so|ci |ety (consumer societies ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use consumer society to refer to a society where people think that spending money on goods and services is very important.
con|sum|ing /kənsjuː m I ŋ, [AM ] -suː -/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A consuming passion or interest is more important to you than anything else. □ He has developed a consuming passion for chess.
2 → see also consume , time-consuming