convenience
Americannoun
-
conveniences
plural
-
the quality of being convenient; suitability.
- Synonyms:
- availability, handiness, utility
-
anything that saves or simplifies work, adds to one's ease or comfort, etc., as an appliance, utensil, or the like.
-
a convenient situation or time.
at your convenience.
-
advantage or accommodation.
a shelter for the convenience of travelers.
-
Chiefly British. water closet.
adjective
noun
-
the state or quality of being suitable or opportune
the convenience of the hour
-
a convenient time or situation
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at a time suitable to you
-
formal as soon as possible
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usefulness, comfort, or facility
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an object that is particularly useful, esp a labour-saving device
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euphemistic a lavatory, esp a public one
-
to take advantage of; impose upon
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing convenience
Trumps
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"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
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A Single Shard
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"This tells us prehistoric people placed real importance on the landscape itself. It wasn't just about convenience -- the location the stones came from likely held meaning for them."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
She’s also aware that some people are stealing and appropriating, using a coolness that they didn’t create as a costume of convenience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Aplin grew the small convenience store he opened in Lake Jackson, Texas, into Buc-ee’s, a chain of gas and convenience megastores.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Or take Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, who didn’t set out to be a convenience store owner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“The very model of modern-day, space-saving efficiency. The height of style and comfort, of convenience and practicality. I give you the Murphy bed.”
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
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“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
As it ought to be, the interior is spectacular, with traditional eyeball vents and chromed organ-pull dampers sharing space with discretely deployed digital displays and other modern conveniences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
For example, hiring professional movers as opposed to using your friends, or buying lunch every day instead of brown-bagging it can feel like worthwhile conveniences.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2025
This also included adding modern conveniences like electricity, indoor plumbing, phone lines and air-conditioning.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2025
Linda was dying in company—in .company and with all the modern conveniences.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.