convenience

American  

[kuhn-veen-yuhns] / kənˈvin jəns /

noun

conveniences plural

1. the quality of being convenient; suitability.

   Synonyms:

   availability, handiness, utility

2. anything that saves or simplifies work, adds to one's ease or comfort, etc., as an appliance, utensil, or the like.

3. a convenient situation or time.

   at your convenience.

4. advantage or accommodation.

   a shelter for the convenience of travelers.

5. Chiefly British. water closet.

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adjective

1. easy to obtain, use, or reach; made for convenience.

   convenience utensils that can be discarded after use.

convenience British  

/ kənˈviːnɪəns /

noun

1. the state or quality of being suitable or opportune

   the convenience of the hour

2. a convenient time or situation

3. at a time suitable to you

4. formal as soon as possible

5. usefulness, comfort, or facility

6. an object that is particularly useful, esp a labour-saving device

7. euphemistic a lavatory, esp a public one

8. to take advantage of; impose upon

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convenience Idioms  

1. see at one's convenience.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• conveniences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of convenience

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin convenientia “harmony, agreement,” from convenient-, stem of conveniēns “coming together” ( see convenient) + -ia -ia

Explanation

Even though the real reason you want the newest phone is that it's incredibly cool looking, you might pretend that what interests you is its convenience, or how easy and useful it will be. The noun convenience is a quality of ease or accessibility. Just think of a convenience store, which is arranged to be easy to get in and out of, and sells things you might need to grab on your way home. Some things are referred to as a convenience if the whole reason for their existence is to make life easier in some way, like electricity, indoor plumbing, and microwaveable meals.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

convenience conveniences

Dick Wood, the former president, CEO and chairman who helped build Wawa into a convenience and gas-station giant, died on July 10 at age 88.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

This kind of convenience often increases the time listeners are willing to spend on a platform, he added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

I know apartment hunting can be overwhelming, especially when you’re doing it from a different city, and hiring a broker might seem like a convenience that’s well worth the cost.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

They support industries such as agriculture, electric utilities and fuel and convenience stores.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

You eat fast food or the hot dogs and Styrofoam cups of soup that can be microwaved in a convenience store.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

He might also prefer a suburban lifestyle full of conveniences to a rural one.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

By 2010, nearly every college and applicant had gone online, with its innumerable conveniences: no issue making corrections, no hassle feeding pages into a typewriter, no trips to the post office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

July 10 is officially the day America reclaims one of its greatest culinary conveniences: the McDonald’s Snack Wrap.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2025

It is calling for longer-term funding pledges from central government that would allow authorities to "plan the transformation, rather than the closure, of facilities" and even restore lost conveniences.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2025

Mom said we should be thankful because we had it better than pioneers, who didn’t have modern conveniences like window glass and cast-iron stoves.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Related Words

• accessibility
• accommodation
• advantage
• assistance
• availability
• benefit
• comfort
• ease
• enjoyment
• satisfaction
• service
• usefulness