noun
futility
fyoo-TIH-lih-tee
noun
1
The state of being useless or unable to produce a result.
"He eventually recognized the futility of fighting the decision."
"There's a sense of futility in trying to change his mind."
2
A pointless act or effort.
"Sending another email felt like an exercise in futility."
How to Use Futility
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe pointlessness of doing something that has no real chance of working.
Common pairings
sense of futility
exercise in futility
the futility of something
Word Forms
futilities plural
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Etymology
From Latin fūtilitās ("worthlessness"); by form, it reads as futile + -ity.