utilize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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
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utilizationnoun
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utilizernoun
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overutilizeverb (used with object)
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preutilizeverb (used with object)
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reutilizeverb (used with object)
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half-utilizedadjective
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nonutilizedadjective
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preutilizableadjective
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quasi-utilizedadjective
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underutilizedadjective
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unutilizableadjective
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unutilizedadjective
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utilizableadjective
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well-utilizedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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utilizesimple
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utilizessimple
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have utilizedperfect
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has utilizedperfect
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am utilizingprogressive
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are utilizingprogressive
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is utilizingprogressive
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have been utilizingperfect progressive
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has been utilizingperfect progressive
Past
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utilizedsimple
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had utilizedperfect
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was utilizingprogressive
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were utilizingprogressive
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had been utilizingperfect progressive
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.
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"
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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:
Meanwhile, Yuru is happy to utilize Left and Right to investigate his parents’ mysterious disappearance.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
"We are working to develop medications that may help the brain better utilize these nutrients to preserve cognitive function."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026
The company also plans to utilize an at-the-market program to sell up to $2 billion of its common stock into the market starting the third quarter of 2026.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
Nvidia meanwhile can be the standardized technology backbone for autonomous vehicles that Uber can utilize and monetize, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
While modern continental peoples included ones dependent on stone tools, as were Polynesians, South America also spawned societies expert in using precious metals, and Eurasians and Africans went on to utilize iron.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
The company utilizes neutral atoms for quantum computing, a differentiated approach, and has expanded its global footprint.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
Additionally, any game or studio that utilizes AI “basically gets soft-canceled,” Howe said.
From MarketWatch ● May 23, 2026
With “Alpha,” she once again utilizes a coming-of-age narrative to probe the fragility and malleability of our physical selves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Xfinity’s first-ever Big Game bid utilizes de-aging software to bring Jurassic Park stars Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill back to the ’90s.
From Slate ● Feb. 8, 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
The photographic technologies utilized begin with daguerreotypes and include stereoscopic prints, a cyanotype, gelatin silver prints, large-format chromogenic works and images created with digital manipulation, neatly demonstrating the show’s long time span.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
In her 1987 essay, “The Site of Memory,” she utilized a river as a metaphor to discuss how imagination excavates forgotten histories and people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Microplastic samples utilized pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry for analysis.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
It takes years for the infrastructure to be fully utilized, productivity to increase and profits to emerge.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
Instead she utilized her training to scan the room, her gaze resting briefly on each surface.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
The foundation recommended ballot curing programs that speed up the process by utilizing a secure text platform when double checking whether a ballot is legitimate when a voter’s signature doesn’t match state records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 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 scanner aims to compete with more cumbersome MRI imaging by utilizing a shallow pool of water and sonic-wave technology to map the human body in roughly 60 seconds.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
It also plays homage to previous Gorillaz collaborators who have departed by utilizing unused or alternate takes from past projects.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
And so Butler went against his training, screaming like a demon and utilizing the most vulgar combat actions.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
