English Translation
He substituted a light for the bell.
Is 用いる a more formal version of 使う？Or, is it used in exactly the same way?
@ericaw
There are two major differences between 用いる and 使う although they are mostly interchangeable.
First, 用いる has a stronger connotation of “to intentionally pick up the one from other alternatives”. So, 用いる is sometimes translated as “to utilize”, “to adopt” or “to apply”. By saying 用いる, the speaker appreciates the functionalities and performance of the one and believes that using it will fulfill the purpose of action. On the other hand, 使う - often translated just as “to use” - can be used in broader/general context including the cases such as “there is no intentional selection” and “using it is required”.
Second, 用いる sounds more formal than 使う.
Here are example sentences where 用いる and 使う are not interchangeable:
トムは部下のメアリーを重く用いた (or 重用した) = Tom highly valued Mary’s abilities and assigned her to many important roles.
If you replace 用いた with 使った, the altered sentence sounds like “exploiting by forcing Mary to work 24/7”. Mary is treated like a disposable tool. There is no appreciation.
そんな方法ではダメだ。もっと頭を使え！ = It doesn’t work. You should think harder to come up with a better idea.
A brain (頭) is the only part you need to use in order to think something. There is no other choice. There is no appreciation for the value of a brain.
ジョンはC案を用いた。= John adopted Plan C.
This implies that John had more than one plans, and he carefully chose Plan C. We don’t say 使う for plans or strategies, both of which involve one’s decision-making.
My explanation is partially based on 大辞泉 (one of the major Japanese-Japanese dictionaries).
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