verb
utilize
YOO-tih-lyz
verb
1
To make practical use of something.
"The factory utilizes solar power to cut energy costs."
"She utilized her language skills to land the translation job."
How to Use Utilize
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA more formal way of saying "use."
Common mistake
In everyday writing, "use" is usually simpler and just as accurate — "utilize" can sound needlessly formal or bureaucratic.
UK vs US
"Utilize" is the standard US and Canadian spelling, and is also accepted in Oxford British English; elsewhere in British English "utilise" is more common.
Word Forms
utilized past tense, utilizes singular
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The factory _____ solar power to cut energy costs.
Etymology
From French utiliser, ultimately from Latin utilis ("useful").