utilicé

Utilicé is the first‑person singular preterite form of the Spanish verb utilizar, meaning “to use.” It is formed from the stem util‑ and the ending –icé, a regular preterite ending for -ar verbs. The verb utilizar belongs to the first conjugation and follows typical Spanish patterns: yo utilicé, tú utilizaste, él/ella utilizó, nosotros utilizamos, vosotros utilizasteis, ellos/ellas utilizaron.

The verb originates from the Latin usitatī, itself derived from ūtilis (“useful”), and entered Spanish in the late Middle Ages. It was especially common in formal or technical contexts, where more elliptical synonyms like usar were considered less precise. In contemporary Spanish, utilizar and usar are often used interchangeably, though utilizing can carry a slightly formal tone.

Typical uses of utilicé include reporting past actions where the subject had employed a tool, method, or strategy: “Utilicé un algoritmo para resolver el problema” or “Utilicé la información del informe.” It may also appear idiomatically as part of longer expressions: “en utilizarse” meaning “to be used.”

In literature and academic writing, utilizar is favored for its precision, while everyday speech tends toward usar. The form utilicé is thus found in legal documents, scientific texts, and formal speech, providing a clear indication of past usage.