underutilize

[ uhn-der-yoot-l-ahyz ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

, un·der·u·ti·lized, un·der·u·ti·liz·ing.

to fail to make practical or profitable use of:
The episodes are boring, badly paced, and completely underutilize the title character.
to fail to use (a machine, resource, etc.) to its full capacity:
Most companies underutilize their data assets, but some manage to leverage them to satisfy marketplace demands.
Many school systems significantly underutilize existing classroom space, yet continue to build new buildings.

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Other Words From

un·der·u·ti·li·za·tion [uhn-der-yoot-l-ahy-, zey, -sh, uh, n], noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of underutilize¹

First recorded in 1950–55; under- + utilize

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Example Sentences

The Washington region is bracing for its busiest holiday travel season in nearly two years, testing a system of roads, rails and airports that, at times, have gone underutilized as travel habits changed.

From Washington Post

The aim is to help small businesses bring in a steady income for the space they already have but are underutilizing during the work week, he added.

From Digiday

Many of the country’s exposure notification apps are underutilized, misunderstood, and not well-trusted—and yet this technology may yet come into its own as a public health tool for future disease outbreaks.

From MIT Technology Review

In terms of the specific measures that one could employ, the one part of antitrust law that’s been significantly underutilized and should be brought back is merger review.

From MIT Technology Review

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underutilization undervalue

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