noun
utility
yoo-TIH-lih-tee
noun
1
The quality of being useful or practical.
"The tool's utility lies in how quickly it gets the job done."
2
A service such as electricity, gas, or water supplied to homes and businesses, or the company providing it.
"Utility bills went up again this winter."
"The city's water utility issued a boil-water notice."
3
A small computer program designed to perform a specific maintenance or support task.
"He ran a disk cleanup utility to free up space."
adjective
1
Designed to be functional rather than attractive.
"The van has a plain, utility interior."
How to Use Utility
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsefulness in general, or (as a noun) a service like electricity/water, or a small helper computer program.
Common pairings
utility bill
utility company
utility software
public utility
Word Forms
utilities plural
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The tool's _____ lies in how quickly it gets the job done.
Etymology
From Old French utilite, from Latin utilitas ("usefulness"), from uti ("to use").