utility

noun

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util·i·ty | \ yü-ˈti-lə-tē

plural utilities

Definition of utility

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : fitness for some purpose or worth to some end

2 : something useful or designed for use

3a : public utility

b(1) : a service (such as light, power, or water) provided by a public utility

(2) : equipment or a piece of equipment to provide such service or a comparable service

4 : a program or routine designed to perform or facilitate especially routine operations (such as copying files or editing text) on a computer

utility

adjective

Definition of utility (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : capable of serving as a substitute in various roles or positions a utility infielder

2a : kept to provide a useful product or service rather than for show or as a pet utility livestock a utility dog

b : being of a usable but inferior grade utility beef

3 : serving primarily for utility rather than beauty : utilitarian

4 : designed or adapted for general use a utility tool

5 : of or relating to a utility a utility company

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About utility

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Examples of utility in a Sentence

Noun a plan without much practical utility Notify the utility if there's an outage.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Ari Peskoe, who directs the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School, has described utility control over transmission as a type of syndicate. — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2021 All other utility services, such as hot water and electricity, weren’t affected by the outage, Housing Authority of Baltimore City spokeswoman Ingrid Antonio said at the time. — Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, 28 July 2021 To work with them to incentivize this development through land, utility extensions and tax deferments. — Brooks Johnson, Star Tribune, 27 July 2021 However, DeWine wasn’t told about the payment until Randazzo, who was the state’s top utility regulator, had his home searched by the FBI on Nov. 16, according to Dan Tierney, a spokesman for the governor, on Monday night. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 27 July 2021 Thousands of utility customers in the Detroit area had no power Sunday following a night of severe storms. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 27 July 2021 Yet millions of residents experienced rolling blackouts in 2019 when a state utility purposely cut off power to avoid wildfires caused by outdated electric lines. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, 27 July 2021 The Charger then struck an electrical utility police a short distance away, police said. — Clifford Ward, chicagotribune.com, 26 July 2021 Researchers found utility costs in states with clean energy standards have remained consistent over time — neither ballooning nor cratering. — Cara Korte, CBS News, 26 July 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective With Adames taking over at short, Urias will move into a super-utility role for the remainder of the season and get most of his starts in a platoon with Travis Shaw at third base but the team still has high hopes for Urias, 23, in the future. — Andrew Wagner, Forbes, 1 June 2021 Boston added a pair of super-utility players in Kiké Hernandez and former Twin Marwin Gonzalez in the offseason. — Phil Miller, Star Tribune, 11 Apr. 2021 With Chad Pinder again in a super-utility role, the A’s will look for spots to get his bat into the lineup. — Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2021 Chad Pinder again looks slated for a super-utility role, and Tony Kemp can also play infield and outfield spots. — Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2021 Gonzalez's super-utility role goes to Luis Arraez, a subpar fielder whose deficiencies can perhaps be mitigated more easily by spreading him around to different positions while keeping his batting champion capabilities in the lineup. — Michael Rand, Star Tribune, 27 Jan. 2021 Diverse experience makes a person a multi-utility player (MUP) in an organization. — Kumar Abhishek, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2021 Jeff McNeil made three errors at third base in what ended up being a tough day for the Mets’ super-utility defender. — Deesha Thosar, courant.com, 7 Mar. 2021 Marwin Gonzalez, who the Tigers have shown interest in, is a super-utility player with experience at first base and second base. — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 26 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'utility.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near utility

utilitarianism

utility

utility knife

Statistics for utility

Last Updated

31 Jul 2021

Cite this Entry

“Utility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utility. Accessed 8 Aug. 2021.

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More Definitions for utility

utility

noun

English Language Learners Definition of utility

(Entry 1 of 2)

formal : the quality or state of being useful

: a service (such as a supply of electricity or water) that is provided to the public

: a company that provides electricity, water, etc.

utility

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of utility (Entry 2 of 2)

: designed for general use

sports : able to be used in several different positions or roles

: made to be useful rather than decorative

See the full definition for utility in the English Language Learners Dictionary

utility

noun

util·i·ty | \ yu̇-ˈti-lə-tē

plural utilities

Kids Definition of utility

1 : the quality or state of being useful

2 : a business that supplies a public service (as electricity or gas) under special regulation by the government

utility

noun

util·i·ty

plural utilities

Legal Definition of utility

1 : fitness for some purpose or worth to some end

2a : public utility

b : a service or commodity provided by a public utility paid for rent and utilities also : equipment or material used in providing such a service or commodity an easement limited to purposes of travel which does not include the right to install utilities — Ware v. Public Serv. Co., 412 A.2d 84 (1980)

3 plural : stocks or bonds of utility companies utilities performed poorly