utility

American  

[yoo-til-i-tee] / juˈtɪl ɪ ti /

noun

• utilities
  plural

1. the state or quality of being useful; usefulness.

   This chemical has no utility as an agricultural fertilizer.

2. something useful; a useful thing.

3. a public service, as a system to provide water or electricity, a railroad line, a cell tower network, or the like.

4. Often utilities. a useful or advantageous factor or feature.

   the relative utilities of a religious or a secular education.

5. Economics. the capacity of a commodity or a service to satisfy some human want.

6. the principle and end of the ethical doctrine of utilitarianism; well-being or happiness; that which is conducive to the happiness and well-being of the greatest number.

7. Computers.

   1. Also called utility program. a piece of software used to perform standard operations involved in managing and maintaining the system itself, such as backing up data, copying data from one drive to another, restoring corrupted files, etc..

      The suite includes a minimal set of utilities, including an encryption wizard for encrypting and decrypting personal files.

   2. an app for a smartphone, such as a calculator, compass, etc., performing one simple function used in the course of carrying out some other activity.

      The measuring app and other utilities are all accessed in one place on your phone screen.

8. utilities, stocks or bonds of public utilities.

9. a grade of beef immediately below commercial.

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adjective

1. (of domestic animals) raised or kept as a potentially profitable product rather than for show or as pets: utility livestock.

   utility breeds;

   utility livestock.

2. having or made for a number of useful or practical purposes rather than a single, specialized one.

   a utility knife.

3. designed chiefly for use or service rather than beauty, high quality, or the like: utility furniture.

   a utility vehicle;

   utility furniture.

utility British  

/ juːˈtɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. 1. the quality of practical use; usefulness; serviceability

   2. ( as modifier )

      a utility fabric

2. something useful

3. 1. a public service, such as the bus system; public utility

   2. ( as modifier )

      utility vehicle

4. economics

   1. the ability of a commodity to satisfy human wants

   2. the amount of such satisfaction See disutility

5. statistics

   1. a measure of the total benefit or disadvantage attaching to each of a set of alternative courses of action

   2. ( as modifier ) See also expected utility decision theory

      utility function

6. Also called: utility truck, ute. a small truck with an open body and low sides, often with a removable tarpaulin cover; pick-up

7. a piece of computer software designed for a routine task, such as examining or copying files

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Usage

What does utility mean? A utility is something that is of service or serves a purpose. Broadly, a utility is anything that is useful. It is paired with many nouns that are commonly useful, such as a utility knife (a knife useful for cutting many things), a utility belt (a belt with pockets and loops to hold many things), and a utility room (a room in a house where the furnace, washing machine and other appliances are kept). In relation to modern life, a utility is a public service used by a household, such as water, electricity, or trash and recycling pickups. A bill for one of these services might be referred to as a utility bill. Utility can also refer to specific benefits that you would receive from taking part in an event or service, as in What is the utility of joining a union?In economics, utility specifically refers to a product’s or service’s ability to satisfy consumer needs. Example: That machine has great utility if you know how to use it.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonutility
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• utilities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of utility

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English utilite, from Old French utilite, utelite, from Latin ūtilitāt-, stem of ūtilitās, equivalent to ūtil(is) “useful” + -itās noun suffix; see utile, -ity

Explanation

If you live in a place where the temperature never drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and someone gives you a snow-blower for your birthday, you might question the gift’s utility, meaning its “usefulness.” Utility means “of practical use.” We refer to government facilities that provide water, electricity and natural gas as public utilities. Utility is similar to the word utilize, which is basically a stuffy word for use.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

utility utilities

“I feel great about Glas,” utility man Kiké Hernández added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Because grid costs are shared, other electricity customers would be left to pick up the tab—and help a utility recoup its investment—if a data-center project falls through.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Batam's water utility had earlier said that it would consider measures like cloud seeding should the water shortage continue.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

A potentially historic El Niño weather pattern may take some sting out of winter utility bills.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

My father had spent the last few days before the holiday trying to find a way to pay the rents, the utility bills, and the teachers’ salaries.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai

Find insight on crude futures, diesel futures, Eni and more in the latest Market Talks covering energy and utilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

When the VC firm first invested in Ionate, it made products intended primarily for utilities, but Antares saw a use case for data centers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

When scouring the country for the best location to build a data center, developers often request power from multiple utilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Legislators have proposed instead using a different index, the CPI-E, which focuses on costs faced by the elderly including healthcare, housing, utilities, groceries and insurance.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

Fred headed the utilities committee and collected the fines.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Related Words

• service