utilitarian

[ yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn ]
See synonyms for utilitarian on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. pertaining to or consisting in utility.

  2. having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.

  1. of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

noun
  1. an adherent of utilitarianism.

Origin of utilitarian

1
First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian

Other words for utilitarian

Other words from utilitarian

  • an·ti·u·til·i·tar·i·an, adjective, noun
  • non·u·til·i·tar·i·an, adjective, noun
  • un·u·til·i·tar·i·an, adjective

Words Nearby utilitarian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use utilitarian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for utilitarian

utilitarian

/ (juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛərɪən) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to utilitarianism

  2. designed for use rather than beauty

noun
  1. a person who believes in utilitarianism

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