The term "use-value" is a modern compound forged within the framework of classical political economy, most notably by Karl Marx. It directly combines the English noun "use," tracing back to the Latin usus meaning "employment" or "utility," with "value," from Latin valere meaning "to be strong or worthy." The compound's logic is transparent: it denotes the value inherent in an object's use or utility. This concept was developed to analytically separate an object's practical, qualitative worth in consumption from its quantitative "exchange-value" or price in the marketplace. Thus, the term encapsulates a fundamental dichotomy in economic theory, linking the ancient ideas of utility and worth to a specific, abstract socio-economic analysis.

Structure: use + value - use (sense: the act of employing something for a purpose): From Old French us, from Latin usus (use, custom, skill), a noun derived from the past participle of uti (to use). Functions as a noun modifier in this compound. - value (sense: the worth, importance, or usefulness of something): From Old French value (worth, price), from the feminine past participle of valoir (to be worth), from Latin valere (to be strong, be worth). Functions as the head noun in this compound.