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:
Once the boat is located, he said, the department will utilize an underwater drone to assess how structurally sound it is and determine whether they have the capability to raise it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 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
Some states, including Florida, Texas, Michigan, Vermont and West Virginia, also utilize deeds known as ladybird deeds or enhanced life-estate deeds, which automatically remove a home from probate and exempt it from Medicaid estate recovery.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
VPNs that utilize modern protocols, such as WireGuard or Lightway, offer faster and more stable performance.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
Orion was designed to utilize explosions of hydrogen bombs, nuclear weapons, against an inertial plate, each explosion providing a kind of “putt-putt,” a vast nuclear motorboat in space.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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
Additionally, any game or studio that utilizes AI “basically gets soft-canceled,” Howe said.
From MarketWatch ● May 23, 2026
Base44, which saw outsized demand in the quarter, utilizes AI.
From Barron's ● May 13, 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
The basic approach utilizes discovery in terms of music learning, and also is synchronous with many of the 21st-century learning approaches discussed in Chapter 1.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
“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
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
Federal officials did not disclose the specific nature of the anti-drone jamming and remote grabbing technology that probably would be utilized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
It takes years for the infrastructure to be fully utilized, productivity to increase and profits to emerge.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
Both American and foreign students utilized him as their prototype for human development, spiritual dedication, and equality.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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
This suggests the market might be skeptical about this self-described “AI-enabled diversified holding company utilizing Transformational AI to enhance portfolio performance.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
He turned to look me straight in the face, utilizing the full power of his burning gold eyes.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
