futility

[fyoo-til-i-tee]

noun

plural

futilities 

1. the quality of being futile; ineffectiveness; uselessness.

2. a trifle or frivolity.

   the large collection of futilities that clutter our minds.

3. a futile act or event.

futility

/ fjuːˈtɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. lack of effectiveness or success

2. lack of purpose or meaning

3. something futile

Word History and Origins

Origin of futility¹

From the Latin word fūtilitās, dating back to 1615–25. See futile, -ity

Example Sentences

The futility and frustration of dieting has in recent years ignited a resistance movement of sorts, encouraging women, especially, to reject social pressures to maintain a slender form.

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“The frantic futility of constantly searching for a new place,” he wrote his longtime friend, Johnny Dark, “a new life, a new partner. As though change itself were some kind of elixir.”

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The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a professional group, defines “futility” in fertility treatment as having less than a 1% chance of a woman having a live birth.

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The air is thick with possibility, with futility, with the truth that some hunger is never fed.

Read more on Salon

Written by Georgia, the song was originally about the futility of war, but it gained fresh urgency after Israel launched its military action in Gaza – an issue on which the band have been passionately outspoken.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• emptiness 
• ineffectiveness www.thesaurus.com