Meanings
noununderuse (usually uncountable, plural underuses)
plural underuses
- uncountableusuallyThe act of using (something) less than expected.
verbunderuse (third-person singular simple present underuses, present participle underusing, simple past and past participle underused)
present singular third person underuses · participle present underusing · participle past underused · past underused
- to use (something) less than expected
Synonyms: underutilize
Synonyms & antonyms
verbto use (something) less than expected
Similar
Opposite
Also see
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
- Proto-Germanic*under
- Proto-West Germanic*undar
- Old Englishunder-
- Middle Englishunder-
- Englishunder-
- Englishuse
- Englishunderuse
Translations
Catalan infrautilitzar
- infrautilitzarto use (something) less than expected
Finnish alikäyttö, alikäyttää
- alikäyttöthe act of using (something) less than expected
- alikäyttääto use (something) less than expected
French sous-utilisation
- sous-utilisationthe act of using (something) less than expected
Italian sotto utilizzo, sottoutilizzare
- sotto utilizzothe act of using (something) less than expected
- sottoutilizzareto use (something) less than expected
Cite this entry
APA
underuse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underuse
MLA
“underuse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underuse. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underuse,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underuse.
Source: underuse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.