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Synonyms

utilize

American

[yoot-l-ahyz] / ˈjut lˌaɪz /

especially British, utilise

verb (used with object)

to put to use; turn to profitable account.

to utilize a stream to power a mill.

utilize British

/ ˈjuːtɪˌlaɪz /

verb

(tr) to make practical or worthwhile use of

"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

Usage

What is another way to say utilize? To utilize something is to put it to use or turn it to profitable account. How is utilize different from use? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of utilize

First recorded in 1800–10; from French utiliser, equivalent to utile “useful” ( see utile) + -iser -ize

Explanation

To utilize is to use what you have or what's available, and it's a three-syllable word meaning the same thing as the one-syllable "use." The word utilize is often a more formal way to express "putting something to use." If you don’t have time to go to the store but you need to come up with a science project, you might utilize what's already in the kitchen. Most of the time you can use the verb use as a synonym for utilize. You can utilize a shorter word to make a sentence easier to read.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing utilize

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

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"Creativity at Work" and "The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind"

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Content Summary 4.1: Causes and Consequences of Iberian Maritime Exploration and Colonialism

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

utilize utilizes utilized utilizing

There were other features in the app that I didn’t fully utilize, like journal prompts, mood trackers, meditations, and more.

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026

And yet, the film fails to utilize either to its advantage, wasting great talent and a halfway-decent premise on mind-numbing dialogue, repetitive plotting and dour lighting.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Treasury is not going to utilize its entire rainy day fund to fund its buyback program. This is not exactly Draghi-esque, a do-whatever-it-takes moment. This is not Ben Bernanke’s bazooka,” Brusuelas said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

Waymo’s self-driving vehicles, which utilize cameras, sensors and lidar, have driven more than 220 million fully autonomous miles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

"Come on and utilize another glass," I said.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Amazon’s robotaxi effort Zoox, which utilizes a purpose-built vehicle with no steering wheel or gas pedal, started charging for its first paid rides in Las Vegas last month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Flatbed trucking, which utilizes trailers with no roof or sides to haul heavy and often odd-size equipment, are at the center of the data-center boom.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

"Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards," DHS said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to make sure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards,” the department said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

I think the difference between a lie and a story is that a story utilizes the trappings and appearance of truth for the interest of the listener as well as of the teller.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Egyptians in antiquity engaged in sword combat for warfare, but also for competition — Romans utilized swords in gladiator events, rituals and duels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

But, he says, “I do think it’s fair to note that we have seemingly changed our general perceptions about whether major index options are better utilized as tools for speculation rather than risk management.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

“The U.S. has, for a whole variety of reasons, never utilized a technical ‘dead man’s switch,'” historian Garrett Graff, an expert on continuity of government, told the Associated Press.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

Microplastic samples utilized pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry for analysis.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

Instead she utilized her training to scan the room, her gaze resting briefly on each surface.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

As well as talks between Iranian and Omani diplomats, “anecdotal evidence suggests there is an increasing flow of vessels utilizing the Omani route through Hormuz,” ANZ analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Tokyo pledges that Japan will become "the world's most-friendly country for developing and utilizing AI".

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

OpenAI introduced its custom AI processor, “Jalapeño,” designed for AI inference, utilizing Broadcom silicon and Celestica rack tech.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

The company has been utilizing long-contracts with quarterly volume commitments and prepayments.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

This was primary source material, research papers based on direct experimental data, involved theoretical constructions utilizing a complex vocabulary and containing a wealth of original ideas—and he was breaking his head on it.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023