utility

[ yoo-til-i-tee ]

noun

, plural u·til·i·ties.

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. Compare public utility ( def 1 ).
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 u·til·i·ty pro·gram. 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.

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

/ 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 calledutility truckinformalute 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

Other Words From

• non·u·til·i·ty noun plural nonutilities

Word History and Origins

Origin of utility¹

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; utile, -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of utility¹

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

Example Sentences

“The buyer needs to be bulking up on joy utility, because it’s not clear to me that this will be an addition to wealth utility,” he said.

From New York Times

"Designing trees into streets early, and then figuring out win-win solutions to get in utilities and traffic access, is one of the big changes we need to make a difference."

From Science Daily

"Expanding the application to more storm events across the world and integrating the model into real-time forecasting systems is also planned to enhance its utility for weather prediction and risk management."

From Science Daily

CVS struck a truce with Glenview Capital that includes giving the hedge fund four board seats; and Elliott Investment Management took a 5 percent stake in Tokyo Gas, the Japanese utility company.

From New York Times

The building managers also declined to cover residents’ utility costs beyond existing discounts or provide additional security measures.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• service

More About Utility

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.

Where does utility come from?

The first records of the term utility come from the 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Latin ūtilis, meaning “useful.” Utility can be used as a noun form of the word useful, as well as other meanings.

You might have heard of a public utility. This is a business that provides an essential public service, or utility, such as trash removal or TV cable service. Because what they provide is considered necessary to support human life, public utilities are regulated by the government. People who work for these businesses are often generally called utility workers.

If you’ve looked around in your computer, you might have found a program called a utility. A utility program is software that runs some standard tasks and is usually important to the correct functioning of the software it is associated with, especially for the computer system.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to utility?

• utilitarian (adjective)
• nonutility (noun)

What are some synonyms for utility?

• service
• productiveness
• practicality

What are some words that share a root or word element with utility? 

• utility knife
• utilitarian
• utilitarianism
• utility pole

What are some words that often get used in discussing utility?

• belt
• bill
• electricity
• water

How is utility used in real life?

Utility is normally used in the context of work or finances. It’s also used frequently in terms of public services, such as electric and water services.

I want to give my special thanks to the more than 350 New York utility workers who are spending their Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico helping to restore the power grid. Your hard work makes us proud.

— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 23, 2017

BREAKING: FCC to forbid firms from slowing Internet traffic, regulate them like utility in new rules expected to be announced Thursday – DJ

— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) February 2, 2015

I just got home and and my dog wanted to celebrate so he grabbed a mouthful of dryer lint from the utility room floor and started throwing it around 🎉- I wouldn’t trade my Saturday night for anybody’s!

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 17, 2018

Try using utility!

Is utility used correctly in the following sentence?

Not everyone agrees that internet access is a utility like electricity, but most people can’t manage their lives without it.