- this is not a formal word, but could be used in a journal article or online on websites. There is another word with the same form, prosumer, that has a different meaning and a different origin, so it must be used in a space where the context clarifies which meaning is intended. In order to denote this meaning, the context would usually be in reference to retail of or information on professional equipment that is available to all consumers, through sites like Amazon, department stores, or more specialized sites.
Prosumer (2)
blending noun
A consumer who buys equipment above the amateur level, but who is not a professional
Etymology : this is a blend between professional and consumer. However, the other prosumer is a blend between producer and consumer, so it is a different blend. This word apparently originated in the 1980’s and spiked in the late 2010’s. The word professional comes from profession, an Old French word which originally referred to the vows religious took on entering an order. This came from Latin “professio,” meaning public declaration. In English, it later acquired the meaning of a job, and then later gained the opposition to amateur. The word consumer comes from the Latin consumere “to eat, use up” from Old French. The root of this word originally comes from PIE “em,” to take or distribute. The economic sense originated in 1745.
Source : someone talking about the lawn mower he purchased, which apparently qualified him as a prosumer, November 2019
Last modified: 10 December 2019