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

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

Streaming services overtook traditional TV—cable and broadcast—in total usage for the first time ever in May, according to research firm Nielsen.

From Barron's

A severe shortage in commodity memory products is expected this year due to increased usage of artificial-intelligence agents and rising demand for AI central processing units for AI training and inference, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal

But our usage of both is minimal because we invest time, energy and money into our health and wellness.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• management