utility

[yoo-til-i-tee]

noun

plural

utilities 

1. the state or quality of being useful; usefulness.

   This chemical has no utility as an agricultural fertilizer.

2. something useful; a useful thing.

3. a public service, as a system to provide water or electricity, a railroad line, a cell tower network, or the like.

4. Often utilities. a useful or advantageous factor or feature.

   the relative utilities of a religious or a secular education.

5. Economics.,  the capacity of a commodity or a service to satisfy some human want.

6. the principle and end of the ethical doctrine of utilitarianism; well-being or happiness; that which is conducive to the happiness and well-being of the greatest number.

7. Computers.

   1. Also called utility program. a piece of software used to perform standard operations involved in managing and maintaining the system itself, such as backing up data, copying data from one drive to another, restoring corrupted files, etc..

      The suite includes a minimal set of utilities, including an encryption wizard for encrypting and decrypting personal files.

   2. an app for a smartphone, such as a calculator, compass, etc., performing one simple function used in the course of carrying out some other activity.

      The measuring app and other utilities are all accessed in one place on your phone screen.

8. utilities, stocks or bonds of public utilities.

9. a grade of beef immediately below commercial.

adjective

1. (of domestic animals) raised or kept as a potentially profitable product rather than for show or as pets: utility livestock.

   utility breeds;

   utility livestock.

2. having or made for a number of useful or practical purposes rather than a single, specialized one.

   a utility knife.

3. designed chiefly for use or service rather than beauty, high quality, or the like: utility furniture.

   a utility vehicle;

   utility furniture.

utility

/ juːˈtɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. 1. the quality of practical use; usefulness; serviceability

   2. ( as modifier )

      a utility fabric

2. something useful

3. 1. a public service, such as the bus system; public utility

   2. ( as modifier )

      utility vehicle

4. economics

   1. the ability of a commodity to satisfy human wants

   2. the amount of such satisfaction See disutility

5. statistics

   1. a measure of the total benefit or disadvantage attaching to each of a set of alternative courses of action

   2. ( as modifier ) See also expected utility decision theory

      utility function

6. Also called: utility truck.  ute. a small truck with an open body and low sides, often with a removable tarpaulin cover; pick-up

7. a piece of computer software designed for a routine task, such as examining or copying files

Other Word Forms

• nonutility noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of utility¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English utilite, from Old French utilite, utelite, from Latin ūtilitāt-, stem of ūtilitās, equivalent to ūtil(is) “useful” + -itās noun suffix; utile, -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of utility¹

C14: from Old French utelite , from Latin ūtilitās usefulness, from ūtī to use

Example Sentences

Santa Ana created a $100,000 fund to help affected families cover basic necessities such as food, rent and utilities.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The artificial-intelligence trade may be one of the prevailing narratives in the stock market right now, but it turns out one “boring” sector is actually beating Big Tech in 2025 — utilities.

Read more on MarketWatch

Find insight on oil futures, U.S. oil rigs and more in the latest Market Talks covering energy and utilities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“What would these supershear events, knowing what we know about their physics and intensity of shaking and so on, what would they do for the utilities, for the buildings?”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But the IMF also predicted the UK will face the highest rate of inflation among G7 nations both this year and next, driven by rising energy and utility bills.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• service 

When To Use

What does utility mean?

A utility is something that is of service or serves a purpose.Broadly, a utility is anything that is useful. It is paired with many nouns that are commonly useful, such as a utility knife (a knife useful for cutting many things), a utility belt (a belt with pockets and loops to hold many things), and a utility room (a room in a house where the furnace, washing machine and other appliances are kept).In relation to modern life, a utility is a public service used by a household, such as water, electricity, or trash and recycling pickups. A bill for one of these services might be referred to as a utility bill.Utility can also refer to specific benefits that you would receive from taking part in an event or service, as in What is the utility of joining a union?In economics, utility specifically refers to a product’s or service’s ability to satisfy consumer needs.Example: That machine has great utility if you know how to use it.