util·i·ty
yü-ˈti-lə-tē 
plural utilities
1
: fitness for some purpose or worth to some end
2
: something useful or designed for use
3
a
b(1)
: a service (such as light, power, or water) provided by a public utility
(2)
: equipment or a piece of equipment to provide such service or a comparable service
4
: a program or routine designed to perform or facilitate especially routine operations (such as copying files or editing text) on a computer
1
: capable of serving as a substitute in various roles or positions
a utility infielder
2
a
: kept to provide a useful product or service rather than for show or as a pet
utility livestock
a utility dog
b
: being of a usable but inferior grade
utility beef
3
: serving primarily for utility rather than beauty : utilitarian
4
: designed or adapted for general use
a utility tool
5
: of or relating to a utility
a utility company
Synonyms
Examples of utility in a Sentence
Noun
a plan without much practical utility
Notify the utility if there's an outage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The Horticulture and Agricultural Science Building would be north of the Nampa Campus Academic Building and along Cherry Lane, where the college has already started extending utilities and preliminary earth work.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
Some areas like housing and utilities can get hit harder because they’re more affected by interest rate changes.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
If time allows, disconnect utilities and appliances.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Weschler now works as an investment manager for the conglomerate, which owns an eclectic assortment of companies including Geico insurance, BNSF railroad, See’s Candy, several major utilities and Dairy Queen.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Financial services jobs last month were off about 2,700 from January, while trade, transportation and utilities lost 7,300 and construction lost 9,600 jobs.
—David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Ledger told The Republic the moratorium was not a factor, clarifying that the ban on solar does not apply to local utilities like MEC.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
However, basing utility charges on customer incomes would be a new step that touched off a spirited ideological debate that spread beyond the state’s borders.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 Mar. 2021
Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) is the largest tribal multi-utility provider in the U.S.
—Grace Baek, CBS News, 8 May 2020
Nortex operates what Tailwater characterized as the largest portfolio of non-utility gas storage facilities in North Texas.
—Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2022
Vistra, the largest independent, non-utility company, announced closures by 2027 of all seven of its coal-burning plants in the mid-western states.
—Ian Palmer, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2021
The Ravens could not turn to anyone else, because injuries wiped out their insurance tackle, James, and their super-utility lineman, Mekari, within the first nine quarters of the new season.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 26 Sep. 2022
Mekari is the rare super-utility lineman who can fill in ably at all five positions.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2022
Noun
More than 610,000 renter households in the region spend at least 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities, according to a recent study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The Horticulture and Agricultural Science Building would be north of the Nampa Campus Academic Building and along Cherry Lane, where the college has already started extending utilities and preliminary earth work.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
Some areas like housing and utilities can get hit harder because they’re more affected by interest rate changes.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
If time allows, disconnect utilities and appliances.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Weschler now works as an investment manager for the conglomerate, which owns an eclectic assortment of companies including Geico insurance, BNSF railroad, See’s Candy, several major utilities and Dairy Queen.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Financial services jobs last month were off about 2,700 from January, while trade, transportation and utilities lost 7,300 and construction lost 9,600 jobs.
—David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Ledger told The Republic the moratorium was not a factor, clarifying that the ban on solar does not apply to local utilities like MEC.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
However, basing utility charges on customer incomes would be a new step that touched off a spirited ideological debate that spread beyond the state’s borders.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The super-utility role seems made for him.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 Mar. 2021
Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) is the largest tribal multi-utility provider in the U.S.
—Grace Baek, CBS News, 8 May 2020
Nortex operates what Tailwater characterized as the largest portfolio of non-utility gas storage facilities in North Texas.
—Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2022
Vistra, the largest independent, non-utility company, announced closures by 2027 of all seven of its coal-burning plants in the mid-western states.
—Ian Palmer, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2021
The Ravens could not turn to anyone else, because injuries wiped out their insurance tackle, James, and their super-utility lineman, Mekari, within the first nine quarters of the new season.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 26 Sep. 2022
Mekari is the rare super-utility lineman who can fill in ably at all five positions.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'utility.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English utilite, from Anglo-French utilité, from Latin utilitat, utilitas, from utilis useful, from uti to use
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of utility was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing utility
Dictionary Entries Near utility
Cite this Entry
“Utility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utility. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
utility
1 of 2 noun
util·i·ty
yü-ˈtil-ət-ē
plural utilities
1
: the quality or state of being useful : usefulness
2
: something useful or designed for use
3
a
b
: a public service (as power or water) provided by a public utility
4
: a program designed to perform or aid in especially routine actions (as copying files or editing text) on a computer
utility
2 of 2 adjective1
: capable of serving as a substitute in various roles or positions
utility infielder
2
: being of a usable but poor quality
utility beef
3
: serving chiefly for usefulness rather than beauty : utilitarian
4
: designed for general use
utility bag
Legal Definition
utility
noun
util·i·ty
plural utilities
1
: fitness for some purpose or worth to some end
2
a
b
: a service or commodity provided by a public utility
paid for rent and utilities
also
: equipment or material used in providing such a service or commodity
an easement limited to purposes of travel which does not include the right to install utilities —Ware v. Public Serv. Co., 412 A.2d 84 (1980)
Ware v. Public Serv. Co., 412 A.2d 84 (1980) 3
plural
: stocks or bonds of utility companies
utilities performed poorly
More from Merriam-Webster on utility
Nglish: Translation of utility for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of utility for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about utility
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