consumatio

Consumatio is a Latin noun that generally denotes the act of consuming or the completion of a process. In Latin usage, it can refer to both the use up of resources (consumption) and, more specifically, the completion or consummation of something.

In legal contexts, consumatio often appears in reference to the finalization of a contract or obligation: once the terms are fulfilled by performance, the contract is said to be consumed or consummated, ending further remedial obligations.

In canon law and theological-lilosophical contexts, consumatio matrimonii refers to the consummation of a marriage, typically understood as the marriage being completed by mutual conjugal act. This consummation has historically held significance for the sacramental status of the union within certain traditions, though the precise implications can vary by jurisdiction and era.

In literary and historical texts, consumatio can also describe the culmination or final stage of a process, narrative, or sequence, not limited to legal or religious spheres.

Today, English usage tends to prefer consummation (for the completion of a marriage or a contract’s fulfillment) or consumption (for the act of using up resources or the medical sense of wasting away). Consumatio survives primarily in historical, philological, or Latin-language discussions as a term of scholarly interest.

See also: consummation, consumption, Roman law, canon law, Latin terminology.