usesrelating

Usesrelating is a semantic relation used in knowledge representation to encode the connection between an entity and the use-case or purpose for which it is employed. It lacks a single standard definition, but appears in several ontology projects as a way to separate use-context from physical attributes.

In practice, usesrelating is typically modeled as an object property that links a resource to another resource representing a task, context, or purpose. In RDF/OWL, it may connect a tool, material, or agent to a use-case such as 'woodworking' or 'medical examination,' sometimes with qualifiers that specify conditions.

Examples include a hammer usesrelating to nail-driving in construction and a laptop usesrelating to data analysis in research.

Relation to other terms: Usesrelating is related to, but distinct from, usedFor or hasUse. It can clarify use-context in complex datasets but may overlap with existing purpose-oriented relations.

Origin and status: The label usesrelating emerged in niche ontology design discussions in the 2010s and has no standardized definition. It remains optional and context-dependent, used primarily in curated knowledge graphs that annotate use contexts.