Utilize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈjuː.tɪ.laɪz/

Definitions

1. To put something to practical use for a particular purpose or benefit
2. To employ a resource or tool effectively to achieve a goal
3. To apply an object, idea, or method so that it serves a useful function

Etymology: The verb "utilize" is a late arrival built on an older word. Its ancestor is the Latin "ūtilis," meaning "useful," which itself grows from "ūtī," "to use." English already had "utile" and "utility" from that same Latin base, but "utilize" came in later by a longer route, passing through French and Italian before it reached English. The path runs roughly like this: Italian formed "utilizzare" from "utile," and French borrowed that as "utiliser." English then took the French verb and shaped it into "utilize." So the word has been through three languages, each one adding a little of its own, before arriving in English with the same core meaning it carried in Latin: to make something serve a purpose.

Synonyms: use, employ, apply, exploit, capitalize

Antonyms: waste, neglect, abandon, misuse