underutilization

[ uhn-der-yoot-l-ahy-zey-shuhn ]

noun

1. failure to put to practical or profitable use:

   The theory fails to fully explain the underutilization of preventive care even when the care is fully subsidized.

   This initiative hopes to address the underutilization of financial aid in community colleges.

2. failure to use a machine, resource, etc., to its full capacity:

   The public firms' low productivity rates and underutilization of capital equipment led to operating costs about 25 percent higher than in the private companies.

   The underutilization of the collected data prevents improvements in product quality, energy efficiency, reliability, and, ultimately, profit margins.

Word History and Origins

Origin of underutilization¹

underutiliz(e) ( def ) + -ation ( def )