differences - "Use" vs. "usage"


When should one use usage instead of use? Examples?



Answer



I tend to agree with Peter Shor:



The word prevarication is not in common use.



But:



The word prevarication is not common usage.



(A sentence that presumably refers to some previous use of prevarication in a non-standard way.) Note how dropping the preposition changes the context of the phrase.


A question that can be asked is whether usage has any really useful use, other than for pedants.


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