utilize

verb

uti·​lize ˈyü-tə-ˌlīz 

utilized; utilizing

transitive verb

: to make use of : turn to practical use or account

… I'm a great person for utilizing waste power.

—Robert Frost

utilizable

ˈyü-tə-ˌlī-zə-bəl 

adjective

utilization

ˌyü-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

utilizer

ˈyü-tə-ˌlī-zər 

noun

Synonyms of utilize

• use
• apply
• exploit
• employ

Choose the Right Synonym for utilize

use, employ, utilize mean to put into service especially to attain an end.

use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end.

willing to use any means to achieve her ends

employ suggests the use of a person or thing that is available but idle, inactive, or disengaged.

looking for better ways to employ their skills

utilize may suggest the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something.

an old wooden bucket utilized as a planter

Examples of utilize in a Sentence

Many of the library's resources are not utilized by townspeople.

we must utilize all the tools at our disposal

Recent Examples on the Web

Why Some Designers Don't Love Cornice Headboards On the other hand, Adnan Anwar, the founder of Adnan Anwar Design, isn't inclined to utilize cornice headboards almost ever. —Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Apr. 2026

Brown said the Knicks had been utilizing Towns’ playmaking abilities all season — but not like this. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026

NewSubstance utilizes over 20 years of experience to forge public art from a variety of immense canvases including a North Sea oil rig, Baku’s Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan, and even the night sky above the Secret Garden Party in Cambridge, England. —Niyaz Pirani, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Today’s most sophisticated designs utilize a layered planting method to create a sense of enclosure that feels like a natural glade rather than a barricade. —Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French utiliser, from utile

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for utilize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

utilize

verb

uti·​lize ˈyüt-ᵊl-ˌīz 

utilized; utilizing

: to make use of especially for a certain job

utilization

ˌyüt-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun