usage

[yoo-sij, -zij]

noun

1. a customary way of doing something; a custom or practice.

   the usages of the last 50 years.

   Synonyms: convention, habit, tradition

2. the customary manner in which a language or a form of a language is spoken or written.

   English usage; a grammar based on usage rather than on arbitrary notions of correctness.

3. a particular instance of this.

   a usage borrowed from French.

4. any manner of doing or handling something; treatment.

   rough usage.

5. habitual or customary use; long-continued practice.

   immemorial usage.

6. an act of using or employing; use.

usage

/ -zɪdʒ, ˈjuːsɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or a manner of using; use; employment

2. constant use, custom, or habit

3. something permitted or established by custom or practice

4. what is actually said in a language, esp as contrasted with what is prescribed

Confusables Note

The nouns usage and use are related in origin and meaning and to some extent overlap in their use. Usage usually refers to habitual or customary practices or procedures: Some usages of the Anglican Church are similar to those of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also commonly used in reference to language practices: English usage is divided in the pronunciation of aunt. Use refers to the act of using or employing (something): She put her extra money to good use. Perhaps in the belief that it is the more impressive term, usage is sometimes used where use would be more natural: Has your usage of a personal computer made the work any easier?

Other Word Forms

• nonusage noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of usage¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Medieval Latin ūsāticum, equivalent to Latin ūs(us) ( use ) + -āticum -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of usage¹

C14: via Old French, from Latin ūsus _use (n)

Example Sentences

Coal usage was in a long-term decline, and investors saw a bleak future for the industry.

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Setting aside this money, she said, “prevents unnecessary credit-card usage and financial guilt.”

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The fastest usage growth was among users aged 18 to 24—a cohort unlikely to revert to older software.

Read more on Barron's

And even though more people in developing countries are using the app, Snapchat usage in markets where the company makes more revenue per user, including the United States and Europe, has dropped.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

While Alphabet’s stock currently trades at a 2027 price-to-earnings multiple of 22x, Jones said it “does not reflect its vertically integrated technology stack, consumer and enterprise usage of its products and dominant advertising platforms.”

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Related Words

• management