Use, Not Utilize
Randy Murray favors clarity over using words for their own sake:
Hammer, spatula, procedures. You don’t utilize any of these things. You use them.
Yes, utilize is a word. It’s a perfectly cromulent word. It’s just not necessary. It’s clunky, jargony, and awkward. And it’s always a poor choice.
Neologisms are great, except when they’re not.
Marketers can be the worst about creating and using the least useful words imaginable. The best at their craft know that expressing a message clearly is the most important part of communication.
Whether it’s to talk to the world or the person sitting next to you, the words you choose matter. Please, use them wisely.
