usage

American  

[yoo-sij, -zij] / ˈyu sɪdʒ, -zɪdʒ /

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.

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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

• nonusage noun

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) ( use ) + -āticum -age

Example Sentences

Actor Matthew McConaughey has filed recordings of his image and voice with US patent authorities to protect them from unauthorized usage by artificial intelligence platforms, a representative said Wednesday.

From Barron's

Then, in August, the debut of image-generation tool Nano Banana launched Gemini usage on its fastest trajectory to date, in part by appealing to younger users.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gemini usage is now on its fastest growth trajectory to date, spurred in part by the summer rollout of an image generator called Nano Banana.

From The Wall Street Journal

The move is part of the Burbank media and entertainment company’s effort to encourage more frequent app usage, particularly on smartphones.

From Los Angeles Times

Within days, Nano Banana had the top spot in performance rankings on the platform LM Arena, was trending on X and had far exceeded Google’s usage expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• management