I Guess it's just USELESS!

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Brace yourself: I’m annoyed and frustrated. I just read a 7-page report by an intelligent, competent, experienced administrator who has sent me excellent reports before. I have no reason to expect anything but the finest analysis from this leader – and that’s what I get, every time. But why, oh why, must this competent writer fall prey to that foolish supposition that “utilize” is somehow superior to – or more formal than – or more correct than – little old “use”? Why? What is driving this? And can it be corrected, or are all my efforts just useless? 

In seven pages, this author used the word “use” three times.

She used a variation of the word “utilize” nine times – three times as often! “Utilized... utilization... utilizes...”

Why!

Or, rather, why NOT?

Okay, let’s take a different approach: Why not? Very simply: When we make one word carry the water for two words, we gradually lose the one that’s not employed, thereby undermining the nuance of our language: Now we have one option, not two. And we can’t afford that! With so much yakkety-yakking going on in our lives, night and day, nuance is just what we need for clear understanding.

We’ll come back to “use” vs. “utilize,” but let’s remind ourselves of the value of nuance and then look at a few other examples of word pairs that suffer the same abuse. “Nuance” means a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, or response – a very slight difference or variation in color or tone. And it’s that subtle difference or meaning that can make communication effective, accurate, and efficient! If you request “soup” for lunch, and I interpret that as “chicken noodle” and you were anticipating “tomato bisque,” we’ve got a communication breakdown, right? If you invite me for a “hike,” that is different from a “jaunt,” right? But what if both are simply called “walk”?

As we sit and write, alone with our thoughts and our chosen device, we can choose to create accurate, precise writing – or not. For example:

  • “May” vs. “might” – In the olden days (say, 10 years ago), “may” referred to permission, and “might” referred to potential or possibility.

    • You may skip your homework, but you might fail the course.

    • You might want to consider the salad instead of the pasta, but you may certainly have whatever you choose.

    • You may party all night, but you might be pretty tired in the morning.

  • “Preventive” vs. “preventative” – (I heard a Bellin Health ad on TV a few days ago, and they got it right! So rare.) It’s so simple, folks: a preventative is a thing, a noun, such as a medication. “Preventive” describes something else – it’s what we used to call an “adjective” back in the olden days when people actually learned the parts of American English. You take preventive action or preventive measures. The thing you use is the preventative. The two words are different! Here, let me show you:

    • You can take preventive action to avoid getting that illness.

    • Here – wear this mask; it’s a preventative.

    • These compression stockings make a great preventative if you’re susceptible to varicose veins.

    • You might as well take preventive measures, right?

Use or Utilize?

So what’s the difference between these two words? Well, this was the difference back when people cared about precise, effective communication: “Utilize” means to make practical and effective use of, to use in a unique way, or to use something to achieve a specific purpose or to make a profit. Everything else is just “use,” and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Ninety percent of the time, “use” is just the plain little word we need:

  • Can you use a break in a few minutes?

  • Here, use my pen; it has plenty of ink. (You don’t need to utilize it!)

  • Our organization has been using this database for years. (not utilizing it)

  • The use of that training program has saved us countless dollars over the years. (not utilization of the program)

About ten percent of the time you will need to “utilize” something:

  • We have to get to shore, so utilize that wooden plank, since we don’t have a paddle.

  • People fail to utilize the gifts of their local libraries, just accepting hearsay and social media as their information sources.

  • If warnings and explanations don’t get results, you might have to utilize a more dramatic intervention.

In almost every instance, you don’t even need the word “utilize,” so why did this author choose that word three times more often than its humble, totally appropriate little cousin? Because she thinks it’s more formal, and this is a formal report? Because she thinks it makes her sound professional or intelligent? What could it be? Well, whatever it is, it’s become a rampant misuse of a word, and it makes me sick.

If you’re a regular in the Speakeasy, you know I’ve struggled with this before:

Does it make sense? Does anyone else care about maintaining the nuance of our language so we can communicate precisely and effectively? This isn’t even political, folks! It’s not geographical or class-conscious. It’s just dumb, in my humble opinion, but then, as I said at the outset, I’m annoyed and frustrated. Sorry.