conspicuous consumption

noun

1. public enjoyment of possessions that are known to be costly so that one's ability to pay for such things is flaunted.

conspicuous consumption

noun

1. spending in a lavish or ostentatious way, esp to impress others with one's wealth

conspicuous consumption

1. Buying unnecessary and expensive products and services as a way to show off wealth. The term was coined by U.S. economist Thorstein Veblen in The Theory of the Leisure Class .

Word History and Origins

Origin of conspicuous consumption¹

Used by Thorstein Veblen in The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899)

Example Sentences

Wine, once the height of boomer culture and conspicuous consumption, has lost its cool among young, more frugal and health-conscious potential customers, many of whom prefer cannabis over Cabernet, experts say.

From Los Angeles Times

This is the only way I can explain why I perused each celebrity’s current advice columns for conspicuous consumption and, much to my shock, found some items that in 2023 seem . . . reasonably priced, comparatively speaking.

From Salon

“Luxury” is a word now almost solely associated with objects and conspicuous consumption — a stand-in for “expensive” that ignores the feeling of luxury found in the small micro-luxuries of everyday life.

From Los Angeles Times

Sometimes the gangs spend the money on conspicuous consumption, like most other white-collar criminals.

From Washington Times

To become Edna, Humphries would put on a mauve wig, an increasingly rococo pair of eyeglasses and a glittering gown that screeched conspicuous consumption.

From New York Times