as in use
the act or practice of employing something for a particular purpose the machine's warranty does not cover malfunctions that result from improper usage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun usage differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of usage are custom, habit, practice, and wont. While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm.

western-style dress is now common usage in international business

Where would custom be a reasonable alternative to usage?

The synonyms custom and usage are sometimes interchangeable, but custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law.

the custom of wearing black at funerals

When could habit be used to replace usage?

In some situations, the words habit and usage are roughly equivalent. However, habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

When might practice be a better fit than usage?

The words practice and usage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

When is wont a more appropriate choice than usage?

While in some cases nearly identical to usage, wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of usage Data center would use 300,000 gallons of water a day in Beaver Dam Water usage has been an issue in some places where data centers have flourished. Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025 Also, while Willow was capable of solving the RCS benchmark in under five minutes, the benchmark isn't meant to show practical usage of a system, it's meant to test if the system does work. Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 The issue has gained momentum in Massachusetts, where top Democrats like Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell have publicly supported reining in cell phone usage in classrooms. Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 30 July 2025 Understanding the prevalence and patterns of AI usage could be crucial for policymakers and businesses alike, as gaps in adoption persist across age groups, education and socioeconomic backgrounds. Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for usage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usage
Noun
  • Soroka has improved this year due to improved use of his slurve, which he’s thrown 35 percent of the time, holding hitters to a .124 batting average.
    Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Earlier this month, Broadnax proposed a $6.3 billion austerity budget that calls for a shuffle of police and firefighter staffing, a drawdown of money to help build affordable housing and the use of $14.1 million in reserves to offset limited property tax revenue.
    Ella McCarthy, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • Singer continued to advise prospective undergraduates on their college applications while serving his sentence in federal prison in Florida, and from a California halfway house after his release.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2025
  • The most dramatic application of this asymmetric approach came in June, when a fleet of more than a hundred Ukrainian drones struck targets as far away as Siberia, destroying or damaging some twenty Russian warplanes.
    Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Usage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usage. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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