usability

noun

us·​abil·​i·​ty ˌyü-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

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

When netbooks arrived a couple of years ago, they were so tiny, only spider monkeys would find them usable. But as they've inched up in size and usability, their sales have taken off.

—David Pogue

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

Today’s models are making strides in usability. —Michael C. Horowitz, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2025

One of the biggest threats to the usability and trustworthiness of the internet right now is AI. —James Folta, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025

However, Windows ultimately comes out ahead thanks to its superior usability and unmatched compatibility. —PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2025

Design changes aren’t only about usability—they’re about marketing. —Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

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