Use vs Usage
Use can function as a verb with several different meanings, but usually means “to put into service or action.” As a noun, use also has a broad range of definitions, but often refers to “the act of putting something into service or action.”
Did you use the discount code I gave you? (Verb)
Yes, I made use of the code you gave me. (Noun)
Usage only ever functions as a noun, typically referring to “a customary or firmly established practice,” “the customary manner in which words are used in a language,” or it can also refer to “the act of using.”
Our town was asked to reduce water usage because of the drought.
Is It “Use” or “Usage”?
Use can be both a verb and a noun, while usage can only function as a noun.
Use has a wide range of definitions, whether it’s acting as a verb or a noun.
Continue reading to learn more about these commonly confused words.
“Use” as a Verb
As a verb, use often refers to “put something into action or service for a specific purpose.”
But it can also mean:
Use is also part of the phrasal verb use up which means “to utilize all of something until there is none left.”
- We used to play together when we were kids.
- My parents are used to my younger brothers always fighting.
It may help to remember that used to is usually the correct option. Use to works only if paired with did or didn’t to describe something that happened in the past but not anymore.
- Didn’t he also use to play with the neighbor down the street?
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“Use” as a Noun
As a noun, use usually refers to “the act of utilizing something.”
It’s also common for use to mean “a purpose for which something is utilized.”
“Usage” as a Noun
Usage can only function as a noun. It means:
Usage can sometimes be synonymous with use (noun), but keep in mind it doesn’t have as wide a range.
- use can be both a verb and a noun.
- usage can only be a noun.
