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

They say the facilities, which house the equipment powering AI and computing systems, could overwhelm the local power supply and hike utility bills.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Both companies enable new data centers to bypass utility grids via their natural gas fuel cells and turbines, respectively.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The utility offered to give investigators access to the trash containers where the pole was discarded, Kushner wrote, but the commission declined to inspect them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

A spokeswoman for the utility, NorthWestern Energy, said no decisions have been made and no timeline set regarding the site.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

I call to her, then toss her my hammer from my utility belt.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

It can continue to meet its financial obligations — with everything from standing orders related to cellphone bills and utilities to rent or mortgage payments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Hardware, memory, power equipment, utilities and grid modernization — areas all tied to the data-center buildout needed for AI — are among the other sectors that have benefited as demand has outstripped supply, said Almeida.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

Peak also works with utilities directly including one unnamed customer in California, and is “in fairly advanced discussions with two of the major hyperscalers,” Mossburg said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Find insight on oil inventories, Canadian energy stocks, oil futures, Repsol and more in the latest Market Talks covering energy and utilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Plan A was to get a paycheck by early October, then pay the second month’s rent and utilities and buy food.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• service