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
While AI has not caused sweeping job losses across industries, it has helped to reshape the labor market as companies utilize the tech in attempts to boost productivity and efficiency.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 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
VPNs that utilize modern protocols, such as WireGuard or Lightway, offer faster and more stable performance.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
It is a protective coloration children utilize for their safety.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
SpaceX utilizes an industry-dominating launch business to support Starlink and, eventually, its artificial-intelligence wing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
The project utilizes abundant West Texas natural gas, which currently faces weak market prices due to limited pipeline capacity.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 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
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
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
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
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
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
Instead she utilized her training to scan the room, her gaze resting briefly on each surface.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
OpenAI introduced its custom AI processor, “Jalapeño,” designed for AI inference, utilizing Broadcom silicon and Celestica rack tech.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Many networks are utilizing the pause as a new advertising window — and some fans aren’t happy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 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
Additionally, while Anthropic and OpenAI do sell their products directly to enterprises, they’re often utilizing AWS and Azure to distribute their offerings.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
It’s just that some environments provide more starting materials, and more favorable conditions for utilizing inventions, than do other environments.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.