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

"When people decide to work at a convenience store, we want FamilyMart to be the place they choose," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Other cities stress convenience rather than romance, setting up registration offices in central locations such as banks and subway stations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

So many of us lead busy lives, he says, convenience is a major part of society.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Instead, “VK2735 should compete effectively on long-term persistence, flexibility, convenience, and continuity of care,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Sam also had an educated perspective on food and health issues, namely how the food industry marketed processed foods to families in the name of convenience and how that was having severe public health consequences.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

“Who doesn’t want to move to a beautiful, wild area and have all the conveniences of the city? But it really strains the wildland-urban interface.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

“A truly unique offering, this compound presents an extraordinary opportunity to own a multigenerational retreat in an idyllic setting close to Chilmark town center as well as the conveniences of West Tisbury,” the listing continues.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

The tradeoff for tight quarters is proximity to conveniences and culture not generally found in far-flung places.

From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2026

Too often, patients are looking for conveniences like extra time on tests or permission to keep a pet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

But during the annual birthday party modern conveniences came out.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

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