useful
Americanadjective
-
being of use or service; serving some purpose; advantageous, helpful, or of good effect.
a useful member of society.
- Synonyms:
- beneficial, efficacious, profitable
- Antonyms:
- useless
-
of practical use, as for doing work; producing material results; supplying common needs.
the useful arts; useful work.
- Synonyms:
- beneficial, efficacious, profitable
- Antonyms:
- useless
adjective
-
able to be used advantageously, beneficially, or for several purposes; helpful or serviceable
-
informal commendable or capable
a useful term's work
noun
Other Word Forms
- unuseful adjective
- unusefully adverb
- unusefulness noun
- usefully adverb
- usefulness noun
Etymology
Origin of useful
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.
So-called iron-air batteries can provide a steady supply of electricity for 100 hours, substantially extending the useful life of clean energy installations.
From Barron's
So-called iron-air batteries can provide a steady supply of electricity for 100 hours, substantially extending the useful life of clean energy installations.
From Barron's
These programs — while useful, innovative and entertaining — never allowed for full-on Spanish-language immersion for viewers, relying heavily on English as their primary tongue.
From Los Angeles Times
That simplicity could make them useful for large scale screening or for individuals who are unable to undergo more intensive brain imaging.
From Science Daily
Dorsey acknowledged that mention markets might seem silly, but he added: “I’m optimistic that there will eventually be useful information coming from these things, especially when they involve deciphering coming announcements from important political figures.”
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.
