utility

[yoo-til-i-tee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR utility ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural u·til·i·ties.

the state or quality of being useful; usefulness: This chemical has no utility as an agricultural fertilizer.

something useful; a useful thing.

a public service, as a telephone or electric-light system, a streetcar or railroad line, or the like.Compare public utility(def 1).

Often utilities. a useful or advantageous factor or feature: the relative utilities of a religious or a secular education.

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

the principle and end of utilitarian ethics; well-being or happiness; that which is conducive to the happiness and well-being of the greatest number.

Computers. utility program.

utilities, stocks or bonds of public utilities.

a grade of beef immediately below commercial.

adjective

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

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

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

Origin of utility

1350–1400; Middle English utilite < Old French utelite < Latin ūtilitās, equivalent to ūtil(is) useful (see utile) + -itās -ity

Related formsnon·u·til·i·ty, noun, plural non·u·til·i·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for utility

service, point, expediency, usefulness, applicability, use, advantage, profit, benefit, adequacy, avail, favor, relevance, function, efficacy, productiveness, efficiency, account, practicality, convenience

Examples from the Web for utility

Contemporary Examples of utility

In essence, he “invented” the idea of a utility company, which would power the light bulbs and other devices people might plug in.
From Edison to Jobs
The Daily Beast
September 25, 2014
According to the courts, the Internet is not considered a utility and therefore not subject to such regulations.
Porn Fights For Your Right to Surf: Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube Lead Charge For Net Neutrality
Aurora Snow
September 13, 2014
In 2010, in what it says was the first such effort by a U.S. utility, APS placed panels on 125 homes in Flagstaff—for no charge.
Panel Discussion
The Daily Beast
September 8, 2014
Much like Cosmo itself, the slideshow is pretty to look at but lacking in substance and utility.
I Tried Cosmo’s Lesbian Sex Tips and They Were Terrible
Samantha Allen
July 30, 2014
So, the pair set about tapping into that world to find partners who might appreciate the utility of a dead, frozen kitten.
Brooklyn’s Museum of Death: Inside Morbid Anatomy’s House of Intriguing Horrors
Nina Strochlic
July 10, 2014

Historical Examples of utility

After all their piety was aimless and of no utility to humanity.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
This was the fashion of the day, though its utility, on the whole, may very well be questioned.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
There is no doubt, replied Altamont, of its utility; but how would you contrive to make it?
The Field of Ice
Jules Verne
I do not ask for proofs of genius, I ask for solid proofs of utility.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
These powerful objections were only met with excuses of convenience and utility.
Roman Catholicism in Spain
Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for utility

utility

noun plural -ties

the quality of practical use; usefulness; serviceability
(as modifier)a utility fabric

something useful

a public service, such as the bus system; public utility
(as modifier)utility vehicle

economics

the ability of a commodity to satisfy human wants
the amount of such satisfactionSee disutility

statistics

a measure of the total benefit or disadvantage attaching to each of a set of alternative courses of action
(as modifier)utility function See also expected utility, decision theory

Also called: utility truck, (informal) ute Australian and NZ a small truck with an open body and low sides, often with a removable tarpaulin cover; pick-up

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

Word Origin for utility

C14: from Old French utelite, from Latin ūtilitās usefulness, from ūtī to use

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 utility

late 14c., "fact of being useful," from Old French utilite "usefulness" (late 13c.), earlier utilitet (12c.), from Latin utilitatem (nominative utilitas) "usefulness, serviceableness, profit," from utilis "usable," from uti (see use (v.)). As a shortened form of public utility it is recorded from 1930.