réutiliser

Réutiliser is a French verb meaning to use again or to reuse. It denotes the act of employing something that has already been used for the same or a new purpose, rather than discarding it after a single use. The word comes from the prefix ré- (again) combined with utiliser (to use).

Grammatically, réutiliser is a regular -er verb. In the present tense it appears as: je réutilise, tu réutilises, il réutilise, nous réutilisons, vous réutilisez, ils réutilisent. The passé composé is formed with avoir: j'ai réutilisé; the imperfect: je réutilisais; the future: je réutiliserai. The present subjunctive is que je réutilise, and the imperative forms are réutilise, réutilisons, réutilisez.

Uses and context: réutiliser is commonly employed in discussions of sustainability, waste management, and the circular economy. It covers both tangible items (for example, réutiliser un bocal, une bouteille, des vêtements) and intangible concepts (réutiliser une solution ou une méthode). The term emphasizes employing the original item with minimal alteration, rather than processing it into a new material.

Relation to related terms: réutiliser is distinct from recycler, which typically implies transforming a material into something new, and from réemployer, which can have broader or context-dependent nuances. In many contexts, the choice between réutiliser and réemployer depends on nuance and emphasis on the act of using the item again versus its reapplication in a different role.

See also: réutilisation, économie circulaire, durabilité.