utility

From Old French utilitet (“usefulness”) (Modern French utilité), ultimately from Latin uti (“to use, enjoy”).

• IPA^(key): /juːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/
• Rhymes: -ɪlɪti

utility (countable and uncountable, plural utilities)

1. The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
   • 1818, Jane Austen, Persuasion, Chapter III:

     "The profession has its utility, but I should be sorry to see any friend of mine belonging to it."

2. Something that is useful.
3. (economics) The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity.
4. (philosophy) Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness.
5. (business, finance) A service provider, such as an electric company or water company; or, the securities of such a provider.
6. (computing) 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.

   I've bought a new disk utility that can recover deleted files.

7. (sports) The ability to play multiple positions.

• disutility
• inutility

• beautility
• multiutility
• utilitarian

utility

1. Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider.

   utility line; utility bill

2. Designating of a room in a house or building where mechanical equipment is installed; such as a furnace, water tank/heater, circuit breaker, and/or air conditioning unit; and often equipped with hookups for laundry equipment (washer/dryer).

   utility room

• (state of being useful): usefulness, note
• See also Thesaurus:utility

utility m (plural utilitys)

1. (sports) utility