utilitarian

[ yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn ]

adjective

1. pertaining to or consisting in utility.
2. having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.

   Synonyms: sensible, functional, useful, practical

3. of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

noun

1. an adherent of utilitarianism.

utilitarian

/ juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛərɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to utilitarianism
2. designed for use rather than beauty

noun

1. a person who believes in utilitarianism

Other Words From

• anti·u·tili·tari·an adjective noun
• nonu·tili·tari·an adjective noun
• unu·tili·tari·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of utilitarian¹

First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian

Example Sentences

And this is the problem that we promote this utilitarian “me first” sort of attitude on the left, and we've just been colonized by the right wing ways of thinking.

From Salon

"So it’s almost paradoxical that these are utilitarian goods," Josh Clarkson, a professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, told The Washington Post.

From Salon

Other household products have similarly transcended their utilitarian roles to become pop culture icons.

From Salon

"This is not about some Machiavellian politics or some utilitarian calculation about an election," he told the crowd.

From BBC

These products are now available on multiple utilitarian platforms in a rapidly expanding digital universe.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• functional
• sensible