Definition of utilitarian
:an advocate or adherent of utilitarianism
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First Known Use of utilitarian
circa 1780
Definition of utilitarian
1
:of or relating to or advocating utilitarianism
2
:marked by utilitarian views or practices
3 a
:of, relating to, or aiming at utility
b
:exhibiting or preferring mere utility
- spare utilitarian furnishings
Recent Examples of utilitarian from the Web
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Barely an island, the rocks are home to utilitarian structures including a communications tower meant to reinforce Singapore’s claim in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
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Started in 2014, the brand is best known for its robust leather jackets and utilitarian outerwear.
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Barely an island, the rocks are home to utilitarian structures including a communications tower meant to reinforce Singapore’s claim in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
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Just two blocks east, more than 20 smaller, more utilitarian theaters popped up along Main Street.
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Donald Trump appears to set regulatory policy on a kind of reverse-utilitarian calculus, working diligently to do the greatest good for the smallest number.
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The bad: Bulky appearance, utilitarian black finish.
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On a utilitarian level, there are not enough priests to go around.
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Not one-word hipster restaurant names like Grease or Swine or Cattle but utilitarian names that might honor the pitmaster or a close relative.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'utilitarian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of utilitarian
1802
UTILITARIAN Defined for English Language Learners
utilitarian
adjective
Definition of utilitarian for English Language Learners
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: made to be useful rather than to be decorative or comfortable
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philosophy : of or relating to utilitarianism
Learn More about utilitarian
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See words that rhyme with utilitarian Spanish Central: Translation of utilitarian Nglish: Translation of utilitarian for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of utilitarian for Arabic speakers
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