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
Examples of utilitarian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026
And even the ethical people have differing perspectives—hard-core utilitarians focus on suffering—and then there are people like me who have more ambitious visions.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
This footwear would later become Teva, which is known for its utilitarian style, comfort and versatility in outdoor walking.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for utilitarian
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Noun
Koolhaas sang the joys of juxtapositions in his 1978 book Delirious New York, and here his firm has cultivated a distinctively New York–y jangle of forms in which the utilitarian becomes the theatrical.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026
And even the ethical people have differing perspectives—hard-core utilitarians focus on suffering—and then there are people like me who have more ambitious visions.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
That bus, beyond being a fun setting, was also utilitarian.
—Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
This footwear would later become Teva, which is known for its utilitarian style, comfort and versatility in outdoor walking.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for utilitarian
Cite this Entry
“Utilitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utilitarian. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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