utilitarian

American  

[yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn] / juˌtɪl ɪˈtɛər i ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to or consisting in utility.

2. having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.

   Synonyms:

   sensible, functional, useful, practical

3. of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

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noun

• utilitarians
  plural

1. an adherent of utilitarianism.

utilitarian British  

/ juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛərɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to utilitarianism

2. designed for use rather than beauty

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noun

1. a person who believes in utilitarianism

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiutilitarian
  adjective
• nonutilitarian
  adjective
• unutilitarian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• utilitarians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of utilitarian

First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian

Explanation

The adjective utilitarian describes something that is useful or functional. If you are attracted to a car for its storage space and gas mileage — as opposed to its sparkly tire rims — then chances are you value a car's utilitarian features. The word utilitarian was coined by the philosopher and judge Jeremy Bentham, who argued that his principle of utility would create the "greatest happiness for the greatest number of people." The noun form of utilitarian refers to a person who adheres to this philosophy of usefulness. "They couldn't agree on the decor for their living room. She wanted whimsy — delicate tables, fragile statues of fairies and unicorns, and cushions on the floor to sit on. He wanted something more utilitarian and useful — comfortable chairs, a giant TV, and sturdy tables to put your feet on."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

utilitarian utilitarians

The interior will be more utilitarian than luxurious.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Even as someone who works in food, my first meal of the day tends to veer utilitarian, including on weekends, when I may not eat it until 10 or 11.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

Tra Jones, general manager of the new amphitheater and a Long Beach native, said he’s striving to make it feel less stopgap and utilitarian than FivePoint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

For you, goods and services serve a utilitarian function.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026

They were set in small grassless plots littered with broken things, bricks, planks, crockery, things of a once utilitarian value.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

For standard utilitarians, people are nothing more than the "containers" or "vessels" of value.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2022

For utilitarians, an agent’s intent and character are not morally relevant factors.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022

For utilitarians, which consequences must be considered when determining the rightness of an action?

From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022

According to utilitarians, rules are made to be broken, when you make people happier by breaking them.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 10, 2020

If the finer and more spiritual faculties of men were as well cultivated or exercised as are their colder and coarser faculties there would be fewer utilitarians.

From Flowers and Flower-Gardens With an Appendix of Practical Instructions and Useful Information Respecting the Anglo-Indian Flower-Garden by David Lester Richardson

Related Words

• functional
• sensible