utilizam

Utilizam is a form of the Portuguese verb utilizar, meaning to use or to utilize. It is the third-person plural present indicative, corresponding to eles/elas utilizam or vocês utilizam. The form is commonly found in formal, technical, and written contexts, as well as in administrative and scientific discourse.

Etymology and sense: utilizar derives from Latin utilis meaning useful, through the Romance language family, with the -izar suffix that yields a verb of action. In Portuguese, utilizar is seen as a more formal or precise alternative to usar, especially in professional or technical writing.

Usage and register: In European and Brazilian Portuguese, utilizar is widely used in formal and technical speech, while usar is more frequent in everyday language. Both verbs are correct; the choice often depends on register, audience, and context. Utilizar typically governs direct objects or resources, tools, methods, or data: for example, "as empresas utilizam recursos naturais" or "o estudo utiliza uma amostra de 200 participantes." It may also appear with prepositions or indirect complements in certain constructions.

Grammar and forms: Utilizar is regular in conjugation. The present indicative forms include utilizo, utilizas, utiliza, utilizamos, utilizam. Related forms include utilização (noun: utilization), utilizável (adjective: usable), and utilizador/utilizador (Portuguese europeu) or usuário (Brazilian Portuguese) for “user.”

See also: utilização, utilizável, utilizador/usuário.