Használatos

Használatos is a Hungarian adjective meaning usable, fit for use, or able to be used. It is formed from the verb használ (to use) and functions as a participial adjective that denotes potentiality or suitability. The term is most often found in formal, technical, or linguistic contexts, where it describes objects, processes, or terms that are appropriate for a particular purpose or that are currently in use.

Usage and register

In everyday language, használható is the more common synonym for “usable.” Használatos tends to appear in professional writing, manuals, dictionaries, and linguistic descriptions, where a distinction between what exists and what is actively in use is relevant. It can also appear in phrases such as használt alak vagy használatos forma, where the emphasis is on a form or variant that is in current use rather than historical or obsolete.

Linguistic and lexicographic notes

In lexicography and grammar discussions, használatos can be used to discuss a form or item that is permissible in current usage, or to indicate that a given item is applicable for a stated purpose. It is often contrasted with more archaic or obsolete forms or with forms not suitable for a given context.

Etymology

The word is built from használ (to use) with a suffix pattern that conveys potentiality or suitability, aligning it with related forms such as használható (usable). The exact preference between használatos and használható depends on tone, register, and domain.

See also: használat, használható, alkalmazható, nyelvtan.