What term describes the amount of a resource being utilized by a system or service?

The term that accurately describes the amount of a resource being utilized by a system or service is utilization. Utilization refers to the proportion of capacity that is actually used at any given time. It is a critical concept in resource management, as it helps administrators understand how much of their available resources—such as CPU, memory, or bandwidth—are being actively deployed to support workloads.

In the context of monitoring systems and performance, utilization is essential for identifying potential bottlenecks, assessing the efficiency of resource allocation, and making informed decisions regarding scaling or optimizing services. By analyzing utilization metrics, organizations can ensure that resources are used effectively without oversubscribing or exceeding thresholds that could lead to degradation of performance.