I'm American and I understand that, so apparently some of us can. Overgeneralizing is usually the downfall of an argument. =)

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Leverage Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This lev·er·age /ˈlÉ›vÉ™rɪdÊ’, ˈlivÉ™r-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[lev-er-ij, lee-ver-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, -aged, -ag·ing. ******–noun****** 1. the action of a lever. 2. the mechanical advantage or power gained by using a lever. 3. power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway: Being the only industry in town gave the company considerable leverage in its union negotiations. 4. the use of a small initial investment, credit, or borrowed funds to gain a very high return in relation to one's investment, to control a much larger investment, or to reduce one's own liability for any loss. ******–verb (used with object)******* 5. to exert power or influence on. 6. to provide with leverage. 7. to invest or arrange (invested funds) using leverage. [Origin: 1715–25; lever + -age]

"to leverage (third-person singular simple present leverages, present participle leveraging, simple past and past participle leveraged) (transitive, mostly US, buzzword) To use; to gain advantage; to take full advantage of an existing thing. They plan to leverage the publicity they gained. - Usage notes Use as a verb is still predominantly a buzzword, primarily among American English speakers." Source and further information: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Leverage#Verb Americans don't always speak exactly the same language, it seems...

Just to counter the other "odd" dictionary sources quoted here: http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/leverage?view=us leverage • noun 1 the exertion of force by means of a lever. 2 the power to influence: political leverage.

We made it a verb. It's kind of like how you guys made up aluminium....

I don't know..I imagine for the same reason that a lot of Americans have no idea what an adverb is/does/or looks like. ["It tastes real good"!!!!!!!]....Other than the fact that language is not static and is constantly evolving, I see no reason why anyone would think that leverage would be a verb.

Well, I guess it's like the word 'loan' - it used to be a noun only but through usage, mainly by Americans, it has been legitimised as a verb. See also the word 'access.' Used to be a noun, now used as a verb ,too. Too bad we can't get the word 'stoopidpoopiehead' legitimised.

First of all, was it really necessary to single out Americans with this question? You could have, just as easily, used 'some people' in place of Americans. Secondly, the word 'leverage' is both a noun and a transitive verb. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to use 'to leverage.' Whether or not it is a transitive verb in the UK as well, I have no idea, nor do I care. Really, shouldn't you research such things before you make such insulting generalizations?

I am an American who believes that "to leverage" is a verb. Sorry, I can't help you. Hmmm... Dictionary.com says "leverage" is both a noun and a verb. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/leverage

it probably depends on the region. american common language is sometimes different that american book language. honestly i've never used it as a verb, but there are things i would "use as leverage" i guess.

I'm an American and I understand it just fine.

Well, all languages evolve continuously. At times it is hard to accept, but it is a fact and in the long run this evolution enriches them. Shakespeare is said to have literally invented hundreds of words we still use today. Furthermore, don't the British use the verb "to hoover" meaning to vacuum? As far as I know, "Hoover" is a brand name and NOT a verb, so maybe you don't really want to go there. And now we all use "to google". Just a thought.

Leverage is business and financial jargon and as such does not have to follow the rules of 'formal' English. As a noun it dates back to, and entered the general vocabulary in the '30's , as a verb to the mid '50's, so I think your complaint is a bit late. It is an Amercanization, but so is playing possum, when the London Stock Exchange crashes, folks just wait, the NYSE and AmEx haven't opened yet. When the American stock markets hiccup the rest of the world barfs. Sorry if the rest of the English speaking world , and you, can't keep up. The thing about English is that words mean what the speakers want it to mean. Unlike Arabic, French, European Spanish, German and other languages we do not have some official body that makes rules about what folks can say and mean by what they say. Here are some online dictionaries, and I didn't see nuffin 'odd' about any of them, that say that 'to leverage' is a perfectly acceptable verb. Pro'lly you can go to the local library and find 'leverage' as a verb in some of them 200 lb dictionaries as well. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=leverage&searchmode=none http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary 1957 http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861696389 http://www.bartleby.com/61/84/L0138400.html http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=leverage*1+0&dict=A http://www.amex.com/servlet/AmexFnDictionary?pageid=display&titleid=3677

Google is also a proper noun, though most use it as a verb. I never use Google personally -- tried it once, didn't like, never tried again.

Verbing wierds language. Always has done, always will do. Goed back centuries. "To knife", "to parlay", "to gun down", "to cheer"... Always ugly when neologisms, but some become as venerable part of the language.

Would you please define "leveraged buyout" for me, Freddy? Thanks.

Hi Freddy. I'm an American. I am well aware of leverage. How to use it, and the definition. I understand your frustration, but please do not take it out on a particular group as a whole. Thank you.

I'm an American and I *totally* agree with you! When I hear people use "leverage" instead of "use", I usually assume they're dunder-headed nitwits whose heads are in the clouds.

Actually language is not stagnant. Therefore, new words are created constantly. Just take the word google as an example. It started as a search engine and now people say stuff like "I googled .... yesterday." How about you? Do you use a search engine or do you google? ;-)

Language evolves. Words are created. "To leverage" something makes total sense to me.

i wonder how the shoe tasted with his foot in his mouth???? courtesy of dictionary.com: –verb (used with object) 5. to exert power or influence on. 6. to provide with leverage. 7. to invest or arrange (invested funds) using leverage.

I don't know. I feel the same way about disrespect. It's also a noun that people use as a verb. You can show disrespect, but somehow we all got sucked into believing that you can disrespect as if it were a verb. I gave up on the American public long ago.

Language is a constantly evolving thing, so to leverage has become a verb, just by being used as such. I can only hope that the pronunciation doesn't cross the Atlantic as well.

Verb: to lever Noun: leverage (the suffix 'age' indicates a noun) So wouldn't it have been logical and consistent to extend the use of 'to lever' beyond the physical realm into the world of finance - thereby avoiding ignorancing and uglinessing the language?

Language is a living thing, and as the usage goes, so goes the meanings. In financial circles, it is very much a useful verb.

Verbing nouns is a a practice that has gone on since time immemorial. Some of them have become normal in the language (like lock - a lock is a physical device), others haven't. They sound strange when new, but if they are useful, they get accepted. That is the way the language adapts to changing needs. If you don't like it, don't use it. But let other people make their own choices.