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Many startups put the word "utilize" in their press releases to sound fancier and more official: "This...prompted us to utilize more robust packaging." You can

Many startups put the word "utilize" in their press releases to sound fancier and more official: "This...prompted us to utilize more robust packaging." You can always say "use" instead of "utilize" to avoid buzzwords and sound more conversational. In fact, there are only a few specific cases (mostly in science writing) where "utilize" is necessary: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/use-versus-utilize http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/use-versu...

OvidNaso 13y ago
It may be different where you live, but at least in Southern California English, 'utilize' is quite commonly used and would sound conversational in tone to many an ear.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
austinhutch 13y ago
Thank you! I am on a life long mission to eradicate the use of the word "utilize". The only exception I make is in operations where "utilization rate" is a term that I have no issue accepting.
Scramblejams 13y ago
Now if only I could get everyone to stop using the word "performant." Good heavens, let's not rely on rusty old words like efficient or fast!
- munificent 13y ago
  I dislike jargon, but in this case, neither "efficient" nor "fast" captures the same concept as "performant". First, both are open-ended and relative. "Fast" and "efficient" compared to what? A cheetah is "fast", but it's not fast if I'm trying to use them to propel fighter jets. If I say, "my code is fast", am I saying it's fast enough for the problem at hand? Faster than it was before? Fast compared to most other code that solves the same problem? "Efficient" has all of the same problems and it's also ambiguous. If my library is efficient, does that mean it runs fast? Starts up fast? Uses memory efficiently? Bandwidth? "Performant" is etymologically strange, but in the place I've seen it used, it has an effective, precise meaning: "well-performing in speed relative to the needs of the problem". It means "fast enough" without the negative connotations of "enough", sort of like "plenty fast". Likewise, it's negation is usefully precise, "not performant" means "however fast it is, that isn't enough for our needs".
  - Scramblejams 13y ago
    Plenty fast and not fast enough just don't do it then, huh? No, "performant" is one of those words which is usually chosen to flatter the speaker, not because it imparts some meaning which is so difficult to describe without it. When it comes to technical topics, amateurs write to impress. Professionals write for clarity.
endgame 13y ago
Why say "use" when you can say "leverage"?
- abuehrle 13y ago
  Because those two words have different meanings.
rdl 13y ago
This is also incredibly common among company/field grade military officers trying to appear "educated". I use "use" when something is put to its intended or designed use; I use a shirt by wearing it. I utilize a shirt by wrapping it around my arm, as a pressure dressing, to stop bleeding.
- sneak 13y ago
  Just use "use".
- onezeno 13y ago
  I was in enlisted Air Force and the term is annoyingly over utilized there as well.
  - rdl 13y ago
    Otoh there are some awesome contributions to the English language like "waivered" and in general a lot of nouning and verbing.
a_bonobo 13y ago
>Pretentious diction. Words like phenomenon, element, individual (as noun), objective, categorical, effective, virtual, basic, primary, promote, constitute, exhibit, exploit, utilize, eliminate, liquidate, are used to dress up a simple statement and give an air of scientific impartiality to biased judgements. From: Politics and the English language, George Orwell, 1946 https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm

OvidNaso 13y ago

It may be different where you live, but at least in Southern California English, 'utilize' is quite commonly used and would sound conversational in tone to many an ear.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

austinhutch 13y ago

Thank you! I am on a life long mission to eradicate the use of the word "utilize". The only exception I make is in operations where "utilization rate" is a term that I have no issue accepting.

Scramblejams 13y ago

Now if only I could get everyone to stop using the word "performant." Good heavens, let's not rely on rusty old words like efficient or fast!

munificent 13y ago
I dislike jargon, but in this case, neither "efficient" nor "fast" captures the same concept as "performant". First, both are open-ended and relative. "Fast" and "efficient" compared to what? A cheetah is "fast", but it's not fast if I'm trying to use them to propel fighter jets. If I say, "my code is fast", am I saying it's fast enough for the problem at hand? Faster than it was before? Fast compared to most other code that solves the same problem? "Efficient" has all of the same problems and it's also ambiguous. If my library is efficient, does that mean it runs fast? Starts up fast? Uses memory efficiently? Bandwidth? "Performant" is etymologically strange, but in the place I've seen it used, it has an effective, precise meaning: "well-performing in speed relative to the needs of the problem". It means "fast enough" without the negative connotations of "enough", sort of like "plenty fast". Likewise, it's negation is usefully precise, "not performant" means "however fast it is, that isn't enough for our needs".
- Scramblejams 13y ago
  Plenty fast and not fast enough just don't do it then, huh? No, "performant" is one of those words which is usually chosen to flatter the speaker, not because it imparts some meaning which is so difficult to describe without it. When it comes to technical topics, amateurs write to impress. Professionals write for clarity.

endgame 13y ago

Why say "use" when you can say "leverage"?

abuehrle 13y ago
Because those two words have different meanings.

rdl 13y ago

This is also incredibly common among company/field grade military officers trying to appear "educated". I use "use" when something is put to its intended or designed use; I use a shirt by wearing it. I utilize a shirt by wrapping it around my arm, as a pressure dressing, to stop bleeding.

sneak 13y ago
Just use "use".
onezeno 13y ago
I was in enlisted Air Force and the term is annoyingly over utilized there as well.
- rdl 13y ago
  Otoh there are some awesome contributions to the English language like "waivered" and in general a lot of nouning and verbing.

a_bonobo 13y ago

>Pretentious diction. Words like phenomenon, element, individual (as noun), objective, categorical, effective, virtual, basic, primary, promote, constitute, exhibit, exploit, utilize, eliminate, liquidate, are used to dress up a simple statement and give an air of scientific impartiality to biased judgements. From: Politics and the English language, George Orwell, 1946 https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm