Utility

/juːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/ · noun

Meaning

The state or condition of being useful; usefulness..

Definitions by Sense

1. The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
2. Something that is useful.
3. (economics) The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity.
4. (philosophy) Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness.
5. (business) A commodity or service provided on a continuous basis by a physical infrastructure network, such as electricity, water supply or sewerage.
6. (business, finance, by extension) A natural or legal monopoly distributer of such a utility; or, the securities of such a provider.
7. (computing) A software program other than a game; one that is useful or creative rather than merely entertaining.
8. (computing) A software program designed to perform a single task or a small range of tasks, often to help manage and tune computer hardware, an operating system, or application software.

Example Sentences

"The profession has its utility, but I should be sorry to see any friend of mine belonging to it."

Undoubtedly it can be said that the humble 0-6-0 has been the backbone for general service, or general utility on British railways right from their earliest days, and is likely to remain so.

The complex includes the usual utilities (gas and electricity) and amenities like wifi and a gym (toilets with toiletries).

Elsewhere, utility diversion works are still scheduled to continue, with work to move a gas main on Drummond Street set to begin in early 2025.

The 'slab track' system negates the need to divert utilities such as gas pipes and telecoms cables by only digging down to a depth of 30cm.

a graphics utility; a music utility

Holonyms: app, application, program

I've bought a new disk utility that can recover deleted files.

Synonyms for utility

Antonyms for utility

Related Words

Word Forms

• utilities

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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