collocations.org

Collocations for use - noun

1. using; being used

ADJECTIVE

considerable, extensive, great, heavy, liberal
full, maximum
He made full use of the opportunity to travel.
excessive
a style of writing with an excessive use of metaphor
increased, increasing
constant, continued, daily, everyday, frequent, regular, repeated, routine
the daily use of a deodorant
long-term, prolonged
There is a high risk of developing side effects from prolonged use of the drug.
lifetime
lifetime use of cigarettes
future
The prints remain on file for future use.
wide, widespread
a campaign to encourage wider use of public transport
common, current, general, normal, ordinary
This software is no longer in common use.
limited
occasional
effective, efficient, good, judicious, optimum
an efficient use of resources
Holding a party was not the best use of scarce funds.
an article with a judicious use of examples
The layout of the furniture makes optimum use of the space available.
appropriate, correct, fair, legitimate, proper
the fair use of copyrighted material
clever, innovative, skilful/skillful
selective
careful, safe
inappropriate, indiscriminate, poor
illegal, illicit, improper, unauthorized
sustainable
the sustainable use of natural resources
personal, private
external, internal
This antiseptic is for external use only.
home
fire extinguishers for home use
recreational
clinical, commercial, industrial, non-commercial
official
exclusive
for the exclusive use of club members
free
Guests have free use of the hotel pool.
immediate
Only half the land was fit for immediate use.
alcohol, drug, heroin, substance, etc.
Drug use in this age group is on the increase.
condom, contraceptive
pesticide
land
language
energy
Internet

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VERB + use

make
We made use of the car while you were away.
bring sth (back) into, come into
a technology which came into use at the end of the last century
go out of
The expression went out of use some time ago.
enable
Advances in battery technology would enable more widespread use of solar energy.
facilitate
allow, permit
legalize
ban, forbid, outlaw, prohibit
the first country to ban the use of antidepressants in children
regulate
preclude
curb, curtail, limit, restrict
maximize, minimize
increase
decrease, reduce
discontinue
If side effects occur, discontinue use.
advocate, encourage, promote, recommend
I don't recommend the use of chemicals in home gardens.
condone, sanction
approve, endorse, favour/favor, support
The study showed that 75% of people favoured/favored the use of ID cards.
discourage, oppose
pioneer
the company which pioneered the use of screen savers as entertainment
justify
You can't justify the use of violence.

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PREPOSITION

for use
This phone number is only for use in an emergency.
in use
The phone is in constant use.

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PHRASES

ease of use
This model has been designed for greater ease of use.
for use as
The CD is intended for use as background music.
ready for use
This room is now ready for use.

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2. purpose for which sth is used

ADJECTIVE

different
new
intended
potential
The product has several potential uses.
medicinal
Water was reserved for drinking or medicinal uses.

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VERB + use

have
This herb has a variety of uses.
find, put sth to
Can you find a use for this old table?
Don't throw that box away—I'm sure I could put it to some use.

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PHRASES

a variety of uses
what use is … ?, what's the use of … ?
What use is a mouse without a computer?
What's the use of denying it?

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3. ability/permission to use sth

ADJECTIVE

full
the full use of your mental faculties

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VERB + use

have
Since his stroke he hasn't had the use of his left hand.
give sb, offer (sb)
We gave them the use of our house while we were away.
deny sb
They denied us use of the college library.
lose
recover, regain
After a while she regained the use of her fingers.

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PREPOSITION

use of
She lost the use of her legs in a car accident.

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4. how useful sth is

ADJECTIVE

practical

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VERB + use

be of
Could this old coat be of use to you?
have
I have no use for my golf clubs any more.

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PREPOSITION

of … use
It's of no practical use to me.
use to
Is it any use to you?

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PHRASES

be no use
It's no use running—the train has already gone.

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Collocations for use - verb

ADVERB

appropriately, correctly, properly
Credit cards, used appropriately, are a great financial tool.
effectively, efficiently, successfully
improperly (esp. BrE), inappropriately, indiscriminately
carefully, cautiously, judiciously, responsibly, selectively, sparingly
This paint is very expensive, so please use it sparingly.
safely
interchangeably, synonymously
‘Ethics’ and ‘morality’ are often used interchangeably.
concurrently, simultaneously
consistently, frequently, generally, habitually, normally, regularly, routinely, typically, usually
Do you habitually use display screen equipment in your job?
mainly, primarily
a technique that is pimarily used in eye surgery
exclusively
an etching technique used exclusively by Picasso
liberally
infrequently, occasionally, rarely
originally
conventionally, traditionally
commercially
up
The oil had all been used up.

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VERB + use

be easy to, be simple to
These garden shears are lightweight and easy to use.
be difficult to, be hard to
be ready to
be likely to, tend to
the factors that make people likely to use heroin
Manufacturers tend to use disks made in the US.
allow sb to, be entitled to, let sb, permit sb to
Candidates are not allowed to use dictionaries in the exam.
forbid sb to
teach sb to

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PREPOSITION

as
The church is sometimes used as a concert venue.
for
chemicals that are used for cleaning

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PHRASES

permission to use sth

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Use is used with these nouns as the subject:
device, experiment, method, recipe, trial

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Use is used with these nouns as the object:
abbreviation, acupuncture, agent, airport, airspace, alias, ammunition, anaesthetic, analogy, appliance, application, approach, argument, asset, authority, axe, balance, bathroom, baton, battery, binoculars, birth control, brain, brake, breed, brick, broom, brush, bus, camera, cannabis, card, caution, cellphone, channel, charcoal, charm, checklist, chemical, chip, cliché, clout, coal, cocaine, code, coke, comb, command, common sense, compass, computer, condom, connection, consultant, contact, contraception, contraceptive, contractor, cosmetic, coupon, courier, crayon, creativity, credit, credit card, criterion, crutch, cunning, currency, data, database, deception, definition, design, device, dictionary, diesel, diplomacy, discretion, distraction, dye, dynamite, electricity, elevator, email, encouragement, encyclopedia, energy, entrance, equipment, escalator, essence, example, experience, expertise, explosive, expression, facility, ferry, fertilizer, firearm, fist, flannel, flash, flattery, flavouring, flour, footpath, force, fork, format, formula, fuel, fund, gadget, gasoline, gun, hammer, handkerchief, hardware, head, heat, heating, herb, highway, humour, hypnosis, image, imagery, imagination, influence, information, ingenuity, ingredient, initial, initiative, ink, instrument, intellect, intelligence, Internet, intuition, iron, jargon, judgement, key, knife, knowledge, label, language, laser, lavatory, leave, library, lighting, logic, loo, loophole, lotion, machine, machinery, magic, make-up, manipulation, manoeuvre, manual, map, material, means, measure, metaphor, method, microphone, mirror, missile, mobile phone, mode, model, mould, mouse, muscle, name, narcotic, needle, network, nickname, oil, ointment, opportunity, package, parachute, pass, pedal, pen, pencil, perfume, persuasion, petrol, phone, phrase, pill, position, potty, power, practice, precaution, premises, prerogative, procedure, proceeds, product, program, projector, prostitute, pseudonym, ration, razor, reasoning, recipe, regimen, remedy, repetition, replay, reserve, resource, restraint, restroom, revenue, rhetoric, rinse, route, rule, sanction, saving, scale, scheme, scissors, sedative, service, shampoo, sheet, sign, simulation, skill, slang, slave, slogan, soap, software, sound, space, spade, spear, spelling, spoon, spray, spreadsheet, stair, staircase, stereotype, stitch, strategy, strength, style, substance, subway, supply, surname, surrogate, swear word, syllabus, symbol, symbolism, syringe, system, tact, tactic, talent, tank, tape, technique, technology, telephone, telescope, tense, term, terminal, terminology, terror, test, theory, thinking, time, tip, tissue, tobacco, toilet, tone, tool, tractor, train, transport, transportation, trick, tunnel, type, vacation, verb, veto, violence, vocabulary, voucher, washcloth, weapon, web, website, wheelchair, whip, wit, word, wording, yarn

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