usage

noun us·age \ ˈyü-sij , -zij \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of usage

1 a : firmly established and generally accepted practice or procedure

b : a uniform certain reasonable lawful practice existing in a particular locality or occupation and binding persons entering into transactions chiefly on the basis of presumed familiarity

c : the way in which words and phrases are actually used (as in a particular form or sense) in a language community

2 a : the action, amount, or mode of using

a decreased usage of electricity

b : manner of treating

See usage defined for English-language learners

See usage defined for kids

Examples of usage in a Sentence

Seat belt usage in the state is now mandatory.
drug usage among college students
Restaurant dishes must be able to withstand rough usage.
efforts to reduce water usage
increasing usage of the nation's highways
This word occurs in casual usage.
differences between British and American usage
I came across an uncommon usage I'd like to discuss with you.

Recent Examples of usage from the Web

First, Thomas was traded by Boston to Cleveland without warning, dashing his developing life as a beloved and high-usage franchise face.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "Grades: Isaiah Thomas Can Rejuvenate Career in Nuggets' Low-Risk Gamble," 13 July 2018
In 2014, Hyatt introduced its 2020 Environmental Sustainability Vision that included goals to reduce energy consumption, emissions, and water usage, diverting waste away from landfills, and buying sustainable products like fish.

— sarah gray, Fortune, "Hyatt Hotels, Like Starbucks, Says 'Good-Bye' to Plastic Straws," 9 July 2018
Comcast's Xfinity Mobile service is imposing new speed limits on video watching and personal hotspot usage, and the company will start charging extra for high-definition video over the cellular network.

— jon brodkin, Ars Technica, "Comcast starts throttling mobile video, will charge extra for HD streams," 2 July 2018
That points to a long, multigenerational usage of the shrine.

— michael price, Science | AAAS, "Rituals performed at this German ‘Stonehenge’ may link mysterious monument to its U.K. counterpart," 28 June 2018
This application is another plausible usage of VR, as explored in an episode of Black Mirror imagining a dating app that runs countless simulations of couplings between potential partners to find the perfect match.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Westworld’s Virtual Afterlife Might Not Be Fiction," 27 June 2018
Due to restrictions on water usage, part of the overarching protocol by the government to conserve natural resources, Costa Ricans found an ingenious way to extract more flavor while reducing water.

— lauren mowery, USA TODAY, "Costa Rican coffee, from rural farms to Starbucks' visitor center," 26 June 2018
Everyday practices like recycling and decreased water usage, along with larger investments such as solar panels for energy efficiency, were part of the evaluation.

— chuck gibson, Cincinnati.com, "Catholic communities honored for ‘Care of Our Common Home’," 21 June 2018
For instance, Uber’s recently announced partnership with electric-aircraft startup Karem, which is developing variable-RPM rotors that can more efficiently modulate the power usage from existing batteries, is just one possible solution.

— eric adams, WIRED, "Four Reasons We Don’t Have Flying Cars—Yet," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'usage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.