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

Mighty Patch Pimple Patches Travel can be harsh on the skin, so throwing a set of these patches for the avid flyer in their stocking is a useful addition. —Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2025

The platform could prove immediately useful for design professionals, allowing some technically complex creative work to be automated. —Tharin Pillay, Time, 9 Dec. 2025

No wonder the American Dialect Society called lock in the most useful term of 2024. —Jon Rosemberg, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025

On the one hand, such language can be useful for mobilizing public opinion and bringing a sense of threat into focus. —Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025

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