utility

utility
/yooh til"i tee/, n., pl. utilities, adj.
n.
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 telephone or electric-light system, a streetcar or railroad line, or the like. Cf. 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. Econ. the capacity of a commodity or a service to satisfy some human want.
6. the principle and end of utilitarian ethics; well-being or happiness; that which is conducive to the happiness and well-being of the greatest number.
7. Computers. See utility program.
8. utilities, stocks or bonds of public utilities.
9. a grade of beef immediately below commercial.
adj.
10. (of domestic animals) raised or kept as a potentially profitable product rather than for show or as pets: utility breeds; utility livestock.
11. having or made for a number of useful or practical purposes rather than a single, specialized one: a utility knife.
12. designed chiefly for use or service rather than beauty, high quality, or the like: a utility vehicle; utility furniture.
[1350-1400; ME utilite < OF utelite < L utilitas, equiv. to util(is) useful (see UTILE) + -itas -ITY]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
(in an abstract sense), , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Utility — U*til i*ty, n. [OE. utilite, F. utilit[ e], L. utilitas, fr. utilis useful. See {Utile}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The quality or state of being useful; usefulness; production of good; profitableness to some valuable end; as, the utility of manure upon… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • utility — util·i·ty n pl ties 1: fitness for some purpose or worth to some end 2 a: public utility b: a service or commodity provided by a public utility paid for rent and utilities; also: equipment or m …   Law dictionary

  • Utility — (engl. ‚Nutzen‘, ‚Versorgungsbetrieb‘) bezeichnet ein Dienstprogramm, Software Werkzeug zur Verwaltung eines Betriebssystems einen Fahrzeugtyp wie zum Beispiel den Holden Utility Landing Craft, Utility, ein Mehrzweck Landungsboot siehe auch:… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • utility — ► NOUN (pl. utilities) 1) the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial. 2) a public utility. 3) Computing a utility program. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ useful, especially through having several functions. ORIGIN Latin utilitas, from utilis …   English terms dictionary

  • utility — late 14c., fact of being useful, from O.Fr. utilite usefulness (late 13c.), earlier utilitet (12c.), from L. utilitatem (nom. utilitas) usefulness, serviceableness, profit, from utilis usable, from uti (see USE (Cf. use) (v.)). As a shortened… …   Etymology dictionary

  • utility — [yo͞o til′ə tē] n. pl. utilities [ME utilite < OFr utilité < L utilitas < utilis, UTILE] 1. the quality or property of being useful; usefulness 2. something useful 3. a) something useful to the public, esp. the service of electric power …   English World dictionary

  • utility — /ju tiləti/, it. /u tiliti/ s. ingl. (propr. utilità ; pl. invar. o utilities ), usato in ital. al femm. (inform.) [spec. al plur., serie di istruzioni che facilitano, estendono o soccorrono le funzioni del sistema operativo o di un applicazione] …   Enciclopedia Italiana

  • utility — (izg. jutìliti) m DEFINICIJA inform. uslužni program, v. uslužan ETIMOLOGIJA engl …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • utility — *use, usefulness Analogous words: suitability, fitness, appropriateness (see corresponding adjectives at FIT): value, *worth …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • utility — [n] serviceableness account, adequacy, advantage, advantageousness, applicability, appropriateness, avail, benefit, convenience, efficacy, efficiency, expediency, favor, fitness, function, point, practicality, productiveness, profit, relevance,… …   New thesaurus

  • Utility — This article is about the economic concept. For other uses, see Utility (disambiguation). Part of a series on Utilitarianism …   Wikipedia

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