useful

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adjective use·ful \ ˈyüs-fəl \

Definition of useful

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

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usefully

play \ˈyüs-fə-lē\ adverb

See useful defined for English-language learners

See useful defined for kids

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 of useful from the Web

The results will be useful not just for understanding the outer gas giants but for improving the process of making diamonds.

— sarah kaplan, chicagotribune.com, "It rains solid diamonds on Uranus and Neptune," 25 Aug. 2017
As for Mazzola, his eclectic tastes would prove useful at Bazaar.

— stephen mooallem, Harper's BAZAAR, "Free Love and Fashion," 18 Aug. 2017
Discover useful ways to save time, energy and money while gardening.

— Daily Southtown, "Community news," 16 Aug. 2017
Give it a little polish to keep that face clean and useful.)

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "An Oven Thermometer Will Reveal Your Oven's Dirty Lies," 15 Aug. 2017
To be fair, the Razer Base Station Chroma is at least a modicum more useful than the Razer Firefly, doubling as a 3-port USB hub.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Razer's Base Station Chroma is a flashy headset stand with RGB lighting," 11 Aug. 2017
That might encourage useful conversation on vital issues.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Politics then and now," 9 Aug. 2017
The city needs to make sure the stadium says in good repair throughout its useful life, which McGrady said is 40 years.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Aberdeen to resume management of non-baseball events at Ripken Stadium in January," 28 July 2017
The website appears to be a useful tool, according to Dr. VJ Periyakoil, associate professor of medicine and director of Stanford University’s Palliative Care Education and Training Program.

— kellen browning, Kaiser Health News, "Jump-Starting Hard Conversations As The End Nears," 25 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'useful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of useful

1595

useful Synonyms

USEFUL Defined for English Language Learners

useful

play

adjective

Definition of useful for English Language Learners

: helping to do or achieve something

USEFUL Defined for Kids

useful

play

adjective use·ful \ ˈyüs-fəl \

Definition of useful for Students

1 :capable of being put to use :usable

useful scraps of material

2 :helpful in doing or achieving something

If you are ever planning a vacation, you may find it useful to acquire a guidebook …
—Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill

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usefully

\-fə-lē\ adverb

—

usefulness

noun

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