# Lanugage Question: Use vs Usage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lanugage-question-use-vs-usage/78614>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 28, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lanugage-question-use-vs-usage/78614 "2001-08-28T22:28:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lanugage-question-use-vs-usage/78614/1 "2001-08-28T22:28:13Z")

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Is there any difference between the noun forms of these words?

EG:

- Instructions for use…
- Instructions for usage…

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lanugage-question-use-vs-usage/78614/2 "2001-08-28T23:16:40Z")

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Back in the old days when the words meant different things, “Usage” referred to matters that happened repeatedly and “use” for other times. But right now, they pretty much mean the same thing.

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lanugage-question-use-vs-usage/78614/3 "2001-08-28T23:17:44Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by sdimbert \*  
> \*\*Is there any difference between the noun forms of these words?
> 
> EG:
> 
> - Instructions for use…
> - Instructions for usage… \*\*

As a question of style, I would never use the second example. But that’s more subjective than anything else.

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**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lanugage-question-use-vs-usage/78614/4 "2001-08-28T23:20:57Z")

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I tend to reserve _usage_ for the employment of vocabulary. I use _use_ for everything else. For what it’s worth…