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

Then Vice President Cheney condemned those behind the torture scandal, while at the same time defending water-boarding as a useful means of extracting vital intelligence (many intelligence experts say water-boarding is torture, and its victims will say anything to avoid further abuse). —Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025

One way to provide clarity around the best exercises for perimenopause and menopause is to utilize a cheap fitness tracker that can give you simple, yet useful insight into your body and daily movement habits. —Jessie Quinn, Flow Space, 4 Nov. 2025

High precision makes the Trackpad Pro a useful tool for drawing, sketching, and detailed editing in professional software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. —Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025

Currently, the system uses external motion capture cameras for indoor testing and is therefore not useful in outdoor environments yet. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 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