functionality
Americannoun
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functionalities
plural
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the quality of being functional, or being particularly suited to a specific task.
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the set of functions that something, particularly a computer or piece of software, is designed or expected to perform.
noun
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the quality of being functional
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computing a function or range of functions in a computer, program, package, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Explanation
The functionality of something is its usefulness, or how well it does the job it's meant to do. You might question the functionality of your new smartphone if you can't get it to send simple text messages. The noun functionality is often used to talk about technology and the new things it's capable of: "The functionality of the new computer model is incredible!" But you can also use it in a general way, to mean "practicality" or "capability." So you might admire the functionality of your neighbor's very basic, simple backyard grill (as opposed to your fancy gas model), which works perfectly well to cook hamburgers.
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:
Having a simplified menu of tools and functionality helped encourage Townsend Harris to switch to NumWorks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Cycling's world governing body the UCI's rule also says it prohibits clothing "not strictly necessary for the functionality of the clothing, or other item, or accessory".
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Based on initial functionality, investors will likely be underwhelmed with the offerings in a consumer market this competitive, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, which he started in San-Francisco after leaving Apple, was brought in to try to meld the traditions of Ferrari with the new functionality and form allowed by a battery-powered engine.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
He volunteered to be one of six people in the country to go under the knife for experimental brain surgery that would possibly provide him with a few more years of functionality.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
The government will also look at restrictions on some functionalities on social media, such as infinite scroll and curfews, for 16 and 17-year-olds.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
OpenAI is discontinuing its Sora video platform app and other video functionalities as part of a strategic shift.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
Alibaba also introduced an AI chat assistant for its Quark app, integrating dialogue and search functionalities.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025
Google instead wants to blitz you with buggy new gizmos whose basic functionalities lack everything that made Google an empire, a verb, a dependable custodian of the information superhighway.
From Slate ● May 16, 2024
This characteristic can result in materials with novel functionalities such as high-temperature superconductivity and enhanced magnetic properties.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024
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.
