usability

noun

us·​abil·​i·​ty ˌyü-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: the quality or state of being usable : ease of use

Each feature is designed to enhance reliability, efficiency, and usability, ensuring dependable performance across a variety of scenarios.

—Lauren Carpenter

One of the other great problems of computer software is preoccupation with bells and whistles, rather than usability. Even software that began as easily usable can evolve over time into something so burdened with complicated (and trivial) features that it is a challenge to figure out how to do the simplest thing.

—Thomas Sowell

Examples of usability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pricing structures vary significantly, usability goes beyond interface design, and questions about data practices and transparency carry just as much weight as raw performance. —Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026

For new construction, the house comes first, but having the landscape designer consult with the architect during planning stages makes a big difference and dramatically improves your yard’s usability, according to Johnsen. —Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026

This approach addresses a major tension in education research – cocreating educational resources with the people they are intended for enhances usability, meaningfulness and effectiveness. —Andres Bustamante, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026

The interior, although an array of plastic, was spacious and comfortable all while focusing on usability. —Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for usability

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• capability
• changeability
• contractility
• credibility
• culpability
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility