utilizavam

Utilizavam is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Portuguese verb utilizar. Utilizar means to use, employ, or apply, often in contexts that emphasize deliberate or systematic use. The verb is derived from Latin utilis, meaning useful, and it follows the regular -ar verb conjugation pattern.

Conjugation: Utilizar is a regular -ar verb. In the imperfect indicative the endings are -ava, -avas, -ava, -ávamos, -avam. Therefore, utilizavam corresponds to "eles/elas utilizavam" (they were using or they used to utilize). Other forms include eu utilizava, tu utilizavas, ele utilizava, nós utilizávamos, eles utilizavam.

Usage notes: Utilizavam tends to be more formal or technical than usar, which is common in everyday speech. The imperfect tense expresses past habitual actions or actions in progress in the past. The choice between utilizar and usar can reflect register and nuance: utilizar can imply methodical or specialized use, while usar is broader and more colloquial.

Examples: Eles utilizavam software de gestão para registrar as operações. No passado, as equipes utilizavam métodos tradicionais para coletar dados.

Etymology: Utilizar comes from Latin utilis "useful" and the -ar verb suffix, entering Portuguese through Romance language development. Synonyms include usar, empregar, aplicar.