utility
English
Etymology
From Old French utilitet (“usefulness”) (Modern French utilité), ultimately from Latin uti (“to use, enjoy”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /juːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/
- Rhymes: -ɪlɪti
Noun
utility (countable and uncountable, plural utilities)
- The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
- 1818, Jane Austen, Persuasion, Chapter III:
- "The profession has its utility, but I should be sorry to see any friend of mine belonging to it."
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- Something that is useful.
- (economics) The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity.
- (philosophy) Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness.
- (business, finance) A service provider, such as an electric company or water company; or, the securities of such a provider.
- (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.
- I've bought a new disk utility that can recover deleted files.
- (sports) The ability to play multiple positions.
Antonyms
Derived terms
Adjective
utility
- Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider.
- utility line; utility bill
- Designating of a room in a house or building where mechanical equipment is installed; such as a furnace, water tank/heater, circuit breaker, and/or air conditioning unit; and often equipped with hookups for laundry equipment (washer/dryer).
- utility room
Synonyms
- (state of being useful): usefulness, note
- See also Thesaurus:utility
Translations
state or condition of being useful
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something that is useful
economics: ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants
business: service provider
computing: software program with specific task
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