verb

leveraging

LEE-vuh-rij-ing or LEV-uh-rij-ing

Leveraging (verb) means present participle of leverage: using something you already have to get the greatest possible benefit or advantage from it. Example: “The charity is leveraging its celebrity supporters to reach a younger audience.”

verb

Present participle of leverage: using something you already have to get the greatest possible benefit or advantage from it.

"The charity is leveraging its celebrity supporters to reach a younger audience."

"By leveraging existing customer data, they cut their advertising spend in half."

Present participle of leverage in finance: using borrowed money to increase the potential return on an investment.

"The fund was leveraging its position with short-term debt when the market turned."

noun

The practice of borrowing money to fund an investment, or of using an existing asset to gain further advantage.

"Aggressive leveraging left the company exposed when interest rates rose."

How to Use Leveraging

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishGetting the most out of something you already have.

When to use it

Very common in business and marketing writing; can sound like jargon in ordinary prose.

Memory tip

In finance the related adjective is "leveraged" — a leveraged buyout is one funded largely by borrowing.

Easily confused with

utilising exploiting capitalising on

Common pairings

leveraging technology leveraging our expertise leveraging relationships leveraging data highly leveraged

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The charity is _____ its celebrity supporters to reach a younger audience.

Synonyms

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exploiting harnessing capitalising on making use of drawing on

Related Words

using harnessing

Rhymes for leveraging

aging raging paging imaging staging damaging engaging managing foraging packaging rummaging massaging

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between leveraging and using?

"Using" simply means employing something. "Leveraging" implies that a small resource is being applied to produce a disproportionately large result, in the way a lever multiplies force. In everyday writing, "using" is often the clearer word.

Is leveraging a real word or business jargon?

It is a real, dictionary-recognised word, but it is heavily associated with corporate speech and is often criticised as jargon when it stands in for a plainer verb. It is unobjectionable in finance, where it has a precise technical meaning.

How do you pronounce leveraging?

Both LEE-ver-ij-ing and LEV-er-ij-ing are accepted. The short-e version is more common in British English, the long-e version in American English.

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