utilize

American  

[yoot-l-ahyz] / ˈjut lˌaɪz /

especially British, utilise

verb (used with object)

• utilizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• utilized,
  past participle,  past
• utilizing
  present participle

1. to put to use; turn to profitable account.

   to utilize a stream to power a mill.

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utilize British  

/ ˈjuːtɪˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to make practical or worthwhile use of

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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

• utilization
  noun
• utilizer
  noun
• overutilize
  verb (used with object)
• preutilize
  verb (used with object)
• reutilize
  verb (used with object)
• half-utilized
  adjective
• nonutilized
  adjective
• preutilizable
  adjective
• quasi-utilized
  adjective
• underutilized
  adjective
• unutilizable
  adjective
• unutilized
  adjective
• utilizable
  adjective
• well-utilized
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• utilizing
  present
• utilized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• utilize
  simple
• utilizes
  simple
• have utilized
  perfect
• has utilized
  perfect
• am utilizing
  progressive
• are utilizing
  progressive
• is utilizing
  progressive
• have been utilizing
  perfect progressive
• has been utilizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• utilized
  simple
• had utilized
  perfect
• was utilizing
  progressive
• were utilizing
  progressive
• had been utilizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will utilize
  simple
• will have utilized
  perfect
• will be utilizing
  progressive
• will have been utilizing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

utilize utilizes utilized utilizing

And yes, Swain told me, many predictive data sources that relied on physics-based modeling now utilize a “blend” of physics-based and machine learning/artificial intelligence methods.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

But recently, following a drop in delivery volume and disagreements over how to best utilize the robots, Uber sold all of its stake in Serve.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

“We’ve been trying to utilize as much of what we already have before we build anything new.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

"There are bacteria that can metabolically utilize the heavy metal, uranium, which is toxic for humans," says Dr. Evelyn Krawczyk-Bärsch, scientist in HZDR's Terrestrial Microbiology research group and co-author of the study.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

“If we need to utilize that, I’ll let you know.”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

"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

Instead, pick a career that utilizes your strengths and that you at least mildly enjoy.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

Gleich, who was also Utah’s democratic nominee for Senate in 2024, utilizes her online platform of nearly 400,000 combined followers to raise awareness about the Stratos project.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

The lounge utilizes hi-fi sound equipment including Master Sounds Clarity-M speakers to ensure that the records sound as crisp as possible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

Jazz standard song form — Jazz utilizes many different forms, but one very common form is closely related to the strophic and variation forms.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

U.S. labs have utilized this practice as well.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 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

Nakamura also pointed out this shift, saying: “We aim to continue providing new materials that can be utilized even as technologies evolve.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

I soon learned that on Everest not even the rope—the quintessential climber’s accoutrement—was to be utilized in the time- honored manner.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

"The Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of our current operations."

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

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

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

By utilizing a bullpen game Friday, the Dodgers built in a full week of rest for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Emmet Sheehan, who are scheduled to start the next two games against the Red Sox.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

McDonald Carheel, who runs his own workforce development business, gave a presentation on utilizing artificial intelligence to help find jobs and create business plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

“It’s of no matter. We are not interested in her eyes. We are interested in utilizing her brain.”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• apply
• appropriate
• employ
• exploit
• handle
• promote
• resort to
• take advantage of