Fact: utilize is not a more formal synonym for use. Unfortunately, the business world has done an excellent job fostering abuse of the word, and plenty of online dictionaries will lie to you about the correct meaning.
So what does utilize really mean?
Technically, utilize means “to put to use.” What that implies is that something “utilized” is not being used for its intended purpose, but for something else.
An example that I frequently cite at work, which shockingly hasn’t gotten me fired yet, is as follows:
“I’m going to use this phone to make a call.”
vs.
“I’m going to utilize this phone to bludgeon you in the head.”
These examples work because a phone is intended for making phone calls, but not for blunt trauma.
Many people have told me that they will never forget the proper application of the word utilize after hearing the preceding example. Maybe they just fear being struck in the head with a telephone.
For another excellent post on this topic that includes a less violent example, check out Grammar Party. Grammar Girl also explains when utilize can be properly applied in a scientific context.
Leveraging Misutilized Words (LMW) is a series in which I discuss commonly abused words. If you’d like to suggest a post, please send me a message.
I think the reason I hear so much language misuse in my industry is because the great majority of my coworkers (at least in my departments) have a scientific background, so their writing experience is for academic/scientific papers and they have only the bare minimum of foreign language or literature education. So their vocabulary is weak and their grammar skills even more so.
You may want to update this example, since telephones now weigh 5.3 ounces. Hitting someone with a telephone would result in no damage to the other person and you getting your ass seriously kicked.