Main Entry: ¹util·i·ty

Pronunciation: \yü-ˈti-lə-tē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural util·i·ties

Etymology: Middle English utilite, from Anglo-French utilité, from Latin utilitat, utilitas, from utilis useful, from uti to use

Date: 14th century

1 : fitness for some purpose or worth to some end
2 : something useful or designed for use
3 a : public utility b (1) : a service (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 (as copying files or editing text) on a computer