Amy Hatmaker earned her BA at the University of Houston-Victoria and is pursuing graduate studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she is researching the role of women in education from the Reconstruction era through the mid-twentieth century. She has worked as a writing tutor at the Academic Center for two years.

Choosing the correct words when you write is critical.  It assures that there is no ambiguity between your intended meaning and the reader’s understanding of the document.    Words that have similar definitions can be especially difficult to work with.  “Use” and “utilize” are two words that have frequently been used interchangeably.  Students in particular tend to do this, because the word “utilize” sounds more formal.  The problem, however, is that there is a slight difference in the meaning of the two words.

Here are the definitions:

Use – The act or practice of employing something (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11^th ed.).

Ex. – John used the table saw to cut the plywood.

Utilize – To put to use, especially to find a profitable or practical use for (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4^th ed.).

Ex. – Elizabeth utilized the old tub as a planter.

Note that the primary difference is that “utilize” indicates using something for other than its intended purpose.