usage — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Habit, practice. A custom or established practice.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   [S]everal young people sung sacred music in the churchyard at night, which it seems is an usage here.

   Mrs. Wickam, agreeably to the usage of some ladies in her condition, pursued […] the subject, without any compunction.

2. Habit, practice. Custom, tradition.

   Usage

   • Uncountable

3. Utilization. The act of using something; use, employment.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Demand continues to increase, and in 2023-24 recorded usage was higher than pre-COVID, with 384,000 passenger journeys in total (of which 247,000 were at the town location). At the other end of the branch, Truro station had usage of 1.19 million, of which 255,000 were recorded as interchange passengers.

4. Utilization. The established custom of using language; the ways and contexts in which spoken and written words are used, especially by a certain group of people or in a certain region. Prevailing language style: how words are used among a populace.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   In descriptive fact, word senses are established by usage.

   The years roll by as they always do, and more examples of pIqaD usage for Klingon have been coming to light. Does this still not count as usage?

5. Utilization. The established custom of using language; the ways and contexts in which spoken and written words are used, especially by a certain group of people or in a certain region. Choice of language style (made by a speaker or writer).

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   usage prescriptions

   In prescriptive ideal, writers will optimize their usage.

6. Utilization. Action towards someone; treatment, especially in negative sense.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Whose sharp provokement them incenst so sore, / That both were bent t'avenge his usage base […]

   More examples (1)

   Satisfy a child by a constant course of your care and kindness, that you perfectly love him, and he may by degrees be accustom'd to bear very painful and rough usage from you, without flinching or complaining

Noun

1. the act of using

   Synonyms

   useutilizationutilisationemploymentexercise

   Broader terms

   activity

   Examples

   he warned against the use of narcotic drugs

   skilled in the utilization of computers

2. accepted or habitual practice

   Synonyms

   customusance

   Broader terms

   practicepatternsurvival

3. the customary manner in which a language (or a form of a language) is spoken or written

   Broader terms

   languagelinguistic communication

   Examples

   English usage

   a usage borrowed from French