consumazione

Consumazione is an Italian noun derived from the verb consumare. It denotes the act of completing or finalizing something, or the event that brings a process to its completion. The term is used in several domains, most notably in law, religious terminology, and formal discourse.

In the context of marriage, consumazione refers to the consummation of the marriage—the moment when the spouses engage in sexual intercourse after the wedding. In canon law and in legal traditions that retain the concept, consummation has historically signified the moment the marital bond became fully established, with important implications in certain cases. The exact legal significance varies by jurisdiction and historical period.

In broader usage, consumazione can describe the completion of a plan, agreement, or ceremony. For example, one might speak of the consumazione of a treaty or a project to indicate that all terms have been carried out and the objective achieved. The word is more common in formal or literary Italian and is less used in everyday language, particularly outside of these contexts.

Etymology: from Latin consumatio, from consumare meaning to finish or exhaust.