Etymograph

English

consumptive

Consumptive comes from Latin sūmptus.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmptus1
  2. Englishearliest quotation a. 1701consumptive1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English consumptive
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1701, John Dryden, The Latter Part of the Fourth Book of Lucretius; Concerning : “The lean, conſumptive, wench, with coughs decay'd, / Is…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmptusWiktionary, English consumptive
  2. Englishearliest quotation a. 1701consumptiveWiktionary, English consumptive. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1701, John Dryden, The Latter Part of the Fourth Book of Lucretius; Concerning : “The lean, conſumptive, wench, with coughs decay'd, / Is…”

Formed from con-

Latin cum ‘with’

English con-

Linked words

through Latin sūmptus

presumption, sumptuous, resumption, presumptive, 5 more

Today it means

adj Having a tendency to consume; dissipating; destructive; wasteful.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “consumptive”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin sūmptus / consumptive

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