leverage

[lev-er-ij, lee-ver-]

noun

the action of a lever, a rigid bar that pivots about one point and that is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third.

the mechanical advantage or power gained by using a lever.

power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway: Being the only industry in town gave the company considerable leverage in its union negotiations.

the use of a small initial investment, credit, or borrowed funds to gain a very high return in relation to one's investment, to control a much larger investment, or to reduce one's own liability for any loss.

verb (used with object), lev·er·aged, lev·er·ag·ing.

to use (a quality or advantage) to obtain a desired effect or result: She was able to leverage her travel experience and her gift for languages to get a job as a translator.

to provide with leverage: The board of directors plans to leverage two failing branches of the company with an influx of cash.

to invest or arrange (invested funds) using leverage.

to exert power or influence on: It was Joe who leveraged her to change her habits.

Origin of leverage

First recorded in 1715–25; lever + -age

Related formsnon·lev·er·aged, adjectiveun·lev·er·aged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for leveraging

Contemporary Examples of leveraging

It's leveraging its user base to make it more the algorithm more intelligent.
Amiigo Tracker Pairs Data With Deadlifts
Gregory Ferenstein
August 4, 2014
Zelaya's ouster was controversial, and his supporters counted on leveraging his image as a coup victim into a sympathy vote.
Honduras Presidential Election Passes Over Chavez Loyalists
Mac Margolis
November 27, 2013
Unashamed about his wealth—made from sweat not speculation, he claimed—he worked at leveraging fortune into celebrity.
The Rise And Fall Of Brazilian Billionaire Eike Batista
Mac Margolis
November 9, 2013
Advertisers—and the weather sites—are leveraging the obsession.
It’s Not a Storm Until the Weather Channel Names It
David Freedlander
March 7, 2013
Obama is leveraging this to its maximum potential, even more than in 2008.
Obama’s Last-Minute Twitter Surge
Jamie Reno
November 6, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for leveraging

leverage

noun

the action of a lever

the mechanical advantage gained by employing a lever

power to accomplish something; strategic advantage

the enhanced power available to a large companythe supermarket chains have greater leverage than single-outlet enterprises

US word for gearing (def. 3)

the use made by a company of its limited assets to guarantee the substantial loans required to finance its business

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for leveraging

leverage

1724, "action of a lever," from lever (n.) + -age. Meaning "power or force of a lever" is from 1827; figurative sense from 1858. The financial sense is attested by 1933, American English; as a verb by 1956. Related: Leveraged; leverages; leveraging.

leveraging in Culture

leverage

The amount in which a purchase is paid for in borrowed money. The greater the leverage, the greater the possible gain or potential loss.