Utilize

How to spell utilize

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce utilize

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does utilize mean?

1. verbTo put something to practical or effective use, especially a resource, tool, or skill.

Utilize in a sentence

• The new software lets teams utilize their data far more efficiently.

• We should utilize the empty office space for storage instead of renting a unit.

Where does utilize come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This verb traces back to the Latin adjective utilis, meaning 'useful' or 'fit for use', which itself grew from the verb uti, 'to use'. French shaped the noun utilite (modern utilité) and the verb utiliser from the same root, and English borrowed the verb form in the early nineteenth century, largely under French influence. For a long time purists complained that 'utilize' was a needless dressed-up substitute for the plain word 'use', yet it survived because it carries a slightly narrower sense of putting something to practical or profitable use. The same Latin root still sits visibly inside everyday relatives such as 'utility', 'useful', and 'usable'. The spelling trap is the unstressed middle syllable, written 'til' but sounded as a soft schwa, plus the choice of -ize over -ise.

How the word is built

• util- (from Latin utilis: useful, fit for use)
• -ize (verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make or do')

British and American spelling

Utilize is the American spelling. British English spells it utilise.