Dictionary

usage en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈjuːzɪd͡ʒ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈjusɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈjʉːsɪd͡ʒ/ (Australia)
• (California, Southern) audio
• /ˈjuːsɪd͡ʒ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈjuzɪd͡ʒ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈjʉːzɪd͡ʒ/ (Australia)

Etymology

Etymology tree Anglo-Norman usagebor. Middle English usage English usage From Middle English usage, from Anglo-Norman and Old French usage. By surface analysis, use + -age.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Habit, practice. ▸ A custom or established practice.
   • [S]everal young people sung sacred music in the churchyard at night, which it seems is an usage here. 1792, James Boswell, in Danziger & Brady (eds.), Boswell: The Great Biographer (Journals 1789–1795), Yale 1989, p. 170
   • Mrs. Wickam, agreeably to the usage of some ladies in her condition, pursued […] the subject, without any compunction. 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:
2. (uncountable) Habit, practice. ▸ Custom, tradition.
3. (countable, uncountable) Utilization. ▸ The act of using something; use, employment.
   • 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. 2025 February 19, 'Industry Insider', “South West boost”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 68, about the Falmouth branch:
4. (countable, uncountable) 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.
   • 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? 2016, Mark Shoulson, “pIqaD (Klingon) and its Usage”, in Unicode, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2021, page 1:
5. (countable, uncountable) 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).
   • In prescriptive ideal, writers will optimize their usage.
   • usage prescriptions
6. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Utilization. ▸ Action towards someone; treatment, especially in negative sense.
   • 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 1693, [John Locke], “§115”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
   • Whose sharp provokement them incenst so sore, / That both were bent t'avenge his usage base […] 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

produsage · usagist · usage share · misusage · underusage · overusage · multiusage · disusage · usage dictionary · usage note · usageaster · nonusage · usage panel · ill-usage · usage guide · usage label · usage lexicography

Translations (126)

pl praktyka językowa (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · uk вжи́ток (act of using something; use) · ko 쓰기 (act of using something; use) · ml ഉപയോഗം (act of using something; use) · ka გამოყენება (act of using something; use) · ar اِسْتِخْدَام (act of using something; use) · fi käyttö (act of using something; use) · fi kielenkäyttö (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · nl gebruik (act of using something; use) · sh upotreba (act of using something; use) · be выкарысто́ўванне (act of using something; use) · te వాడుక (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · fr usage (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · sh jezična izvedba (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ja 習慣 (habit or accepted practice) · ja 用法 (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ja 使い方 (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ca ús (habit or accepted practice) · ja 使い方 (act of using something; use) · ru примене́ние (act of using something; use) · hi लौकिकता (act of using something; use) · kk қолданыс (act of using something; use) · pl uzus językowy (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ko 사용 (act of using something; use) · ja 使用 (act of using something; use) · sa विनियोगः (act of using something; use) · ru обы́чай (habit or accepted practice) · pt uso (act of using something; use) · hu használat (act of using something; use) · pt uso (habit or accepted practice) · de Benutzung (act of using something; use) · nb anvendelse (habit or accepted practice) · pl zwyczaj (habit or accepted practice) · ru обраще́ние (act of using something; use) · ja 使い (act of using something; use) · uk використа́ння (act of using something; use) · be выкарысто́ўваньне (act of using something; use) · it utilizzi (act of using something; use) · ka მოხმარება (act of using something; use) · uk кори́стува́ння (act of using something; use) · ru языкова́я пра́ктика (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · uk у́зус (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · fa-ira کارْبُرْد (act of using something; use) · ja 使い方 (habit or accepted practice) · mi whakamahinga (act of using something; use) · gl uso (act of using something; use) · es uso (act of using something; use) · ru испо́льзование (act of using something; use) · pt emprego (habit or accepted practice) · de Brauch (habit or accepted practice) · nb bruk (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · syl ꠁꠍ꠆ꠔꠦꠝꠣꠟ (act of using something; use) · syl ꠛꠦꠛꠀꠞ (act of using something; use) · de Gebrauch (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · cmn 用法 (act of using something; use) · gl emprego (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · bg оби́чай (habit or accepted practice) · grc χρῆσις (act of using something; use) · id praktik berbahasa (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · es usanza (habit or accepted practice) · fr usage (act of using something; use) · eo uzado (act of using something; use) · ru привы́чка (habit or accepted practice) · gl uso (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ml വിനിയോഗം (act of using something; use) · pl uzus (habit or accepted practice) · de Verwendung (act of using something; use) · nb bruksområde (act of using something; use) · hu szóhasználat (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · id pakai (act of using something; use) · it utilizzo (act of using something; use) · ru словоупотребле́ние (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · lv lietojumi (act of using something; use) · as ব্যৱহাৰ (act of using something; use) · hu szokás (habit or accepted practice) · uk ужи́ток (act of using something; use) · ru употребле́ние (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · bg употре́ба (act of using something; use) · lv lietojums (act of using something; use) · pl praktyka (habit or accepted practice) · el χρήση (act of using something; use) · sh jezična uporaba (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · fi käsittely (act of using something; use) · cs jazyková praxe (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · de Anwendung (act of using something; use) · sh jezična praksa (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · pl użycie (act of using something; use) · uk зви́чай (habit or accepted practice) · ru у́зус (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · sk jazyková prax (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · es usaje (habit or accepted practice) · pt emprego (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ca ús (act of using something; use) · ru обыкнове́ние (habit or accepted practice) · it usi (habit or accepted practice) · tg корбурд (act of using something; use) · hu gyakorlat (habit or accepted practice) · eo lingvaĵo (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ka სარგებლობა (act of using something; use) · cmn 習慣 /习惯 (habit or accepted practice) · ko 이용 (act of using something; use) · ru тради́ция (habit or accepted practice) · gl usanza (habit or accepted practice) · kn ಬಳಕೆ (act of using something; use) · te వాడుక (act of using something; use) · te వాడుక (habit or accepted practice) · gl emprego (act of using something; use) · ru употребле́ние (act of using something; use) · bg употре́ба (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · it uso (habit or accepted practice) · gl hábito (habit or accepted practice) · uk слововжи́ток (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · fi käytäntö (habit or accepted practice) · ko 씀 (act of using something; use) · ja 利用 (act of using something; use) · fi puhetapa (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · fr usage (habit or accepted practice) · fr coutume (habit or accepted practice) · id pemakaian (act of using something; use) · ml ഉപയോഗം (habit or accepted practice) · ml ഉപയോഗരീതി (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · ko 리용 (act of using something; use) · de Nutzung (act of using something; use) · gl uso (habit or accepted practice) · uk слововжива́ння (the way words are spoken or written in a community) · la ūsus (act of using something; use)

wikidata: Q1047050