as in use
the capacity for being useful for some purpose
the well-known usefulness of thick phone books as seat boosters for short diners
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Recent Examples of usefulness
Jefferson proved his usefulness soon after his arrival, when he was placed on a committee with John Dickinson to draft a declaration—not the declaration, which was still a year away, but rather a list of complaints for King George III.
—
Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Parents in Los Angeles pushed the school board to mandate an audit of i-Ready's usefulness in the district.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 12 May 2026
Meanwhile, the biogas itself contains large amounts of carbon dioxide – often around 35% to 40% – reducing its direct usefulness as a fuel and requiring additional upgrading before it can be injected into natural gas infrastructure as renewable natural gas.
—New Atlas, 9 May 2026
Value of major league teams apparently held by owners is based on personal desires, preferences and judgments for their usefulness.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for usefulness
Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Parents in Los Angeles pushed the school board to mandate an audit of i-Ready's usefulness in the district.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 12 May 2026
Meanwhile, the biogas itself contains large amounts of carbon dioxide – often around 35% to 40% – reducing its direct usefulness as a fuel and requiring additional upgrading before it can be injected into natural gas infrastructure as renewable natural gas.
—New Atlas, 9 May 2026
Value of major league teams apparently held by owners is based on personal desires, preferences and judgments for their usefulness.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for usefulness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usefulness
Noun
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Qualls takes lead Qualls took the lead after Lindell dropped out, but Demuth, urging the use of paper ballots over the clickers, tried to appeal to Lindell voters.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
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Key Takeaways Most side effects of ginseng are mild and temporary, and serious side effects are generally associated with high doses and long-term use.—
Ann Pietrangelo,
Verywell Health,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The scoreboard remained silent for some time after that, with both teams trying to set up solid forechecks, but to no avail.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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Reporters emailed the judge to no avail and asked a court officer to relay a note to him, but the officer refused.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Caleb Durbin has ranked among the worst offensive performers in MLB since joining the Red Sox, and with Trevor Story out and Marcelo Mayer now ensconced at shortstop, the Red Sox are rotating through a series of utility players who would otherwise be relegated to bench duty.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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After years of relatively flat power consumption in many advanced economies, utilities are revising load forecasts upward, and data centers are competing for grid connections.—
Anna Broughel,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Usefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usefulness. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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