Dictionary.com

useful

[ yoos-fuhl ]
/ ˈyus fəl /
See synonyms for: useful / usefully / usefulness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being of use or service; serving some purpose; advantageous, helpful, or of good effect: a useful member of society.
of practical use, as for doing work; producing material results; supplying common needs: the useful arts; useful work.

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Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
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Origin of useful

First recorded in 1585–95; use + -ful

OTHER WORDS FROM useful

Words nearby useful

use, use-by date, USECC, used, used to, useful, use immunity, useless, Usenet, use one's head, user
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to useful

profitable, good, helpful, effective, convenient, fruitful, practical, appropriate, favorable, proper, pragmatic, suitable, handy, advantageous, utile, applied, brave, commodious, fit, functional

Example sentences from the Web for useful

British Dictionary definitions for useful

useful
/ (ˈjuːsfʊl) /

adjective

able to be used advantageously, beneficially, or for several purposes; helpful or serviceable
informal commendable or capablea useful term's work

noun

Australian informal an odd-jobman or general factotum

Derived forms of useful

usefully, adverbusefulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012