What does "utility" mean?
The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
Utility
/juːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
- Grammar: utility is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: usefulness, account, advantage, advantageousness.
- Useful contrasts: decorative aspect, no value, bug.
- Usage evidence: This antique brazier no longer has any real utility.
How to use "utility"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "utility" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "utility" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "utility" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "utility" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "utility" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "usefulness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "utility", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state or condition of being useful; usefulness. countable, uncountable
""The profession has its utility, but I should be sorry to see any friend of mine belonging to it.""
- 2 the service (electric power or water or transportation) provided by a public utility wordnet
- 3 Something that is useful. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 4 a facility composed of one or more pieces of equipment connected to or part of a structure and designed to provide a service such as heat or electricity or water or sewage disposal wordnet
- 5 The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity. countable, uncountable
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 the quality of being of practical use wordnet
- 7 Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness. countable, uncountable
- 8 (computer science) a program designed for general support of the processes of a computer wordnet
- 9 A commodity or service provided on a continuous basis by a physical infrastructure network, such as electricity, water supply or sewerage. countable, uncountable
"The complex includes the usual utilities (gas and electricity) and amenities like wifi and a gym (toilets with toiletries)."
- 10 a company that performs a public service; subject to government regulation wordnet
- 11 A natural or legal monopoly distributer of such a utility; or, the securities of such a provider. broadly, countable, uncountable
- 12 (economics) a measure that is to be maximized in any situation involving choice wordnet
- 13 A software program other than a game; one that is useful or creative rather than merely entertaining. countable, uncountable
"a graphics utility; a music utility"
- 14 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. countable, uncountable
"Holonyms: app, application, program"
- 15 The ability to play multiple positions. countable, uncountable
- 16 A coupé utility, or ute; an automobile with an open tray or bed behind the passenger cabin. Australia, New-Zealand, countable, uncountable
"Tim Archer got into the utility and drove[.] The car was a 1946 Chevrolet, somewhat battered by four years of station use, a sturdy practical vehicle with a coupé front seat and an open truck body behind."
Adjective
- 1 Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider.
"utility line; utility bill"
- 2 containing or intended for any of a building’s often-utility-related commodity transport, such as pipes or wires, or converting equipment, such as furnaces, water tanks or heaters, circuit breakers, central air conditioning units, laundry facilities, etc.
"utility room; utility corridor"
- 3 Functional rather than attractive.
""Chocolate and cream," the standard colours of G.W.R. rolling stock for 21 years, are now being replaced by an all-over utility coating of reddish-brown. This is the third time that a uniform brown has been adopted as the standard livery of G.W.R. carriages."
Adjective
- 1 capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team wordnet
- 2 used of beef; usable but inferior wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"This antique brazier no longer has any real utility."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "utility"?
Common synonyms include: usefulness, account, advantage, advantageousness, aktiebolag, aktiengesellschaft.
How do you use "utility" in a sentence?
This antique brazier no longer has any real utility.
How do you pronounce "utility"?
Pronounced /juːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/.
Etymology
From Middle English utilite, from Old French utilite, utilitet (“usefulness”), from Latin ūtilitās, from uti (“to use”). By surface analysis, utile + -ity.