useful

[yoos-fuh l]

See more synonyms for useful 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.

Origin of useful

First recorded in 1585–95; use + -ful

Related formsuse·ful·ly, adverbuse·ful·ness, nounun·use·ful, adjectiveun·use·ful·ly, adverbun·use·ful·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for useful on Thesaurus.com

1, 2. profitable, efficacious, beneficial.

Antonyms

1, 2. useless.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for useful

Contemporary Examples

For the aficionado or the neophyte, Comics is a useful overview of a richly creative period in a burgeoning art.
The Best Coffee Table Books of 2014
Robert Birnbaum
December 13, 2014
For those unfamiliar with Michals, an annotated biography and useful essays are included.
The Best Coffee Table Books of 2014
Robert Birnbaum
December 13, 2014
Ten years earlier, when he had first started thinking about making this film, he had made such a trip and found it useful.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
Claiming to be useful against Ebola, autism, and cancer, Young Living Essential Oils came under fire from the FDA.
Honey Boo Boo, Snake Oil, and Ebola: The Weird World of Young Living Essential Oils
Kent Sepkowitz
December 5, 2014
Available at Amazon Vince Camuto Moto Baseball Cap, $34 Baseball caps may be useful on the road, but they scream “tourist!”
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Anthony Bourdain in Your Life
Allison McNearney
November 29, 2014

Historical Examples

The Nile was directly responsible for this useful development.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
Otherwise, he would not have cared to go on destroying life for no useful end.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
I feel my independence, and I have been told that I am useful to my fellow-creatures.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
I strive to be useful to my fellow-creatures, and am happy if I succeed.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
The Word of God might be useful in its way, but only as studied with unfettered thought.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder

British Dictionary definitions for useful

useful

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 Formsusefully, 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

Word Origin and History for useful

adj.

1590s, from use (n.) + -full. Related: Usefully; usefulness.

useful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}useful

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples from the Web for useful

Contemporary Examples

For the aficionado or the neophyte, Comics is a useful overview of a richly creative period in a burgeoning art.

For those unfamiliar with Michals, an annotated biography and useful essays are included.

Ten years earlier, when he had first started thinking about making this film, he had made such a trip and found it useful.

Claiming to be useful against Ebola, autism, and cancer, Young Living Essential Oils came under fire from the FDA.

Available at Amazon Vince Camuto Moto Baseball Cap, $34 Baseball caps may be useful on the road, but they scream “tourist!”

Historical Examples

The Nile was directly responsible for this useful development.

Otherwise, he would not have cared to go on destroying life for no useful end.

I feel my independence, and I have been told that I am useful to my fellow-creatures.

I strive to be useful to my fellow-creatures, and am happy if I succeed.

The Word of God might be useful in its way, but only as studied with unfettered thought.

useful

Word Origin and History for useful

adj.

Origin of useful