utilize
v.to use something in an effective way to get a job done. It is a more formal word than 'use' and often appears in business or school reports.
v.to make practical or effective use of a resource, tool, or strategy. Often used in formal or technical contexts to imply that the object is being used to its full potential.
“The team will utilize new software to track their progress.”
“The factory plans to utilize solar panels to reduce its reliance on the local power grid.”
“By choosing to utilize existing infrastructure rather than building from scratch, the city saved millions in taxpayer funds while accelerating the timeline for the new transit project.”
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is frequently criticized in style guides as a needlessly complex substitute for 'use' unless a specific sense of 'making effective use of' is intended.
“While only about half of the vehicles on the road today utilize the technology, industry experts predict that 90–95 percent of new vehicles will be Internet‑connected by 2030.”
“Tokyo pledges that Japan will become "the world's most-friendly country for developing and utilizing AI".”
From French utiliser, from Italian utilizzare, from utile (“useful”), from Latin ūtilis, from ūtī (“use”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.