usage noun
1 way/amount that sth is used
ADJ. heavy, high high energy usage | low | normal With normal usage, the equipment should last at least five years. | drug Drug usage by teenagers has increased in recent years. | energy | water
VERB + USAGE increase | reduce
USAGE + VERB increase | fall
PREP. ~ of Usage of computers in schools is increasing.
2 way that words are used
ADJ. common, everyday, general, normal, ordinary, popular That word is no longer in common usage. | current, modern a book on current English usage | actual Actual usage of the word is different from the meaning given in the dictionary. | correct | American, English, etc. | language, linguistic, word | colloquial
VERB + USAGE come into, enter The term ‘eco-tourism’ entered common usage in the 1990s.
PREP. in ~ The word has a slightly different meaning in popular usage.
PHRASES patterns of usage Dictionary definitions tend to show stereotypical patterns of usage.