useful

adjective

use·​ful ˈyüs-fəl 

1

: capable of being put to use

especially : serviceable for an end or purpose

useful tools

2

: of a valuable or productive kind

do something useful with your life

usefully

ˈyüs-fə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of useful

• applicable
• practical
• applied
• applicative

Examples of useful in a Sentence

Does anyone have any useful suggestions?

It can be useful to know CPR.

The Internet is useful for finding information quickly.

She has become one of the team's most useful players.

Why don't you do something useful with your life?

Recent Examples on the Web

This is one shape of [a] research project of systematizing and scaling up searching for useful new tools in large databases and DNA sequences. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Apple Vision Pro proved particularly useful for judging the scale of sets before physical construction. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Measure the full cost of completing a useful task, including review and correction. — Hani Assi, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Those details can become far more useful when criminals combine them with other personal information. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing useful

• come in useful
• come in useful/helpful
• make oneself useful
• prove (to be) useful
• useful idiot
• useful life

Kids Definition

useful

adjective

use·​ful ˈyüs-fəl 

1

: capable of being put to use : usable

useful scraps of material

2

: having practical value

a useful invention

usefully

-fə-lē 

adverb

usefulness noun