avail

n. use, purpose, or help. You usually see this in the phrase 'to no avail', which means an effort failed.

n. utility, benefit, or efficacy in achieving a goal. In modern standard English, it is almost exclusively restricted to the prepositional phrase 'to no avail', functioning as a predicative or adverbial of result.

“The doctors tried every medicine they had, but to no avail.”

“The rescue teams worked through the night to reach the trapped climbers, but their efforts were to no avail due to the worsening blizzard.”

Formal

n. a short name for a 'press avail', which is a scheduled time for reporters to ask questions.

n. a scheduled opportunity for journalists to interview a public figure, typically a politician or celebrity. A clipping of 'availability', common in political communication and public relations.

“The senator held a quick avail at the airport before his flight.”

“The campaign manager scheduled a brief press avail on the tarmac to address the recent polling data before the candidate departed for the next rally.”

American English · Technical

n. a specific time slot that is available for a television or radio advertisement.

n. a specific time period or 'spot' available for purchase by an advertiser within a broadcast schedule.

“The agency bought every available avail during the championship game.”

“The media buyer struggled to secure prime-time avails during the election cycle as inventory was rapidly depleted by political action committees.”

Technical

v. to use or take advantage of something that is available to you.

v. to make use of or take advantage of an opportunity or resource. Frequently used reflexively with 'of' (e.g., 'to avail oneself of').

“You should avail yourself of the free training offered by the company.”

“Guests are encouraged to avail themselves of the full range of spa facilities during their stay at the resort.”

Formal

adj. a short, casual way of saying 'available'.

adj. a colloquial clipping of 'available', used in informal contexts or shorthand.

“Let me know if you're avail for a quick call this afternoon.”

“The producer asked the lead actor if he was avail for the reshoots scheduled for the following weekend.”

Informal · Slang

v. to provide or make something available for someone to use.

v. to provide or make a resource available. This usage is characteristic of specific regional varieties of English.

“The school will avail the necessary books to all students next week.”

“The department has promised to avail the funds as soon as the administrative audit is completed.”

Dialect