usage

American  

[yoo-sij, -zij] / ˈju sɪdʒ, -zɪdʒ /

noun

usages plural

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.

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usage British  

/ -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

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Commonly Confused

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

Derived Forms

• nonusage
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• usages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of usage

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

Explanation

Usage is the act of using something. Your cell phone usage is something you'll want to keep track of so you don't find yourself surprised by overages and extra charges that might make you want to cry. Usage can also refer to the usual and correct way a language is spoken or written. If you want to make sure you're using the right word or using a tricky word correctly, you should consult a book on English usage. Usage can also mean an accepted practice or custom. An anthropologist might describe the specific time-honored usages that a particular tribe observes whenever a baby is born.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

usage usages

Data centres will also be required to minimise water usage.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

"Our recent statistics show that effort is beginning to make a difference - household incomes have risen 5% in real terms, food bank usage has fallen, and food insecurity is down," they said.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

“I know my usage is a lot lower,” Hamby said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Technology companies have faced a wave of backlash from locals concerned about power usage and the strain on their local grids.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Another firestorm can be extinguished by recalling that the conventions of usage are tacit.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Token usages are how developers measure and pay for AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

What are some unique butter techniques or usages that some may not be familiar with?

From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2024

The notes — which detail pronunciation and vowel usages — reinforced the veracity of the most accurate of the key manuscripts, the Aleppo Codex, he said.

From Washington Times ● May 17, 2023

But anyone who read that understood what Dean was saying—he wasn’t arguing, the Times was not arguing, that in our actual journalism we will prohibit that word under all cases and usages.

From Slate ● Feb. 13, 2021

So how can we reconcile the conviction that certain usages are wrong with the absence of any authority that ever decided what was right?

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• management