usefulness

noun

use·​ful·​ness ˈyüs-fəl-nəs How to pronounce usefulness (audio)
: the quality of having utility and especially practical worth or applicability

Examples of usefulness in a Sentence

the well-known usefulness of thick phone books as seat boosters for short diners
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The pair abducted Lee to make amends, and Allen killed them for outliving their usefulness, which was minimal anyway. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025 According to Havel, this usefulness is so successful, so total, that the story, the history, ceases to exist. Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025 Innovation and usefulness shouldn't supersede humanity In the film, Dillinger refers to Ares as Master Control. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025 The problem with safari clothing is that its usefulness is more or less limited to safari weather. Air Mail, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for usefulness

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of usefulness was in 1618

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Cite this Entry

“Usefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usefulness. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on usefulness

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