Meaning & use
in use
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Being used by someone at the present time and therefore not available.
Grammar: Follows be: the room is in use.
Patterns
- be in use
Sorry, the meeting room is in use until noon.
The printer is in use, so please wait a moment.
A sign on the door said the bathroom was in use.
phrasefixed phrase
Used regularly by people, or employed as a normal tool, method or word.
Grammar: Often follows be, still or no longer: still in use.
Patterns
- still in use
- no longer in use
This old technique is still in use in some villages.
The word has been in use for centuries.
These machines are no longer in use at the factory.
Common combinations
- currently in use
- The old server is currently in use for backups.
- no longer in use
- The old bridge is no longer in use.
- still in use
- The system is still in use after twenty years.
- in common use
- The term is in common use among teachers.
- go into use
- The new rules will go into use next month.
Synonyms and how they differ
- occupied
- Occupied is the usual word for toilets, rooms and seats, while in use is wider and also fits machines.
- busy
- Busy is mostly for people or phone lines, and in use is better for objects.
- in operation
- In operation sounds more technical and often describes machines, services or rules.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: in use or in used?
in use vs in used
In used is incorrect; the noun use stays after in, as in in use.
Practice
Which sign best tells people a room cannot be entered right now?
Choose one answer.
In use is the fixed phrase and means occupied at the moment. The other choices are not standard phrases, though in using or in used may look tempting.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “in use”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.