UTILITY Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

utility 1 of 2

noun

yü-ˈti-lə-tē

Definition of utility

as in usefulness

the capacity for being useful for some purpose the store specializes in gee-whiz gadgetry of dubious utility

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

utility

2 of 2

adjective

as in other

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of utility

Noun

Leaf vacuums are usually large machines towed behind tractors, mowers or utility vehicles. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 Fire Victim Trust administrators sold those stock shares off in chunks as the utility’s share price made a slow climb out of a bankruptcy bottoming out, leaving the survivors waiting years for payments. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The Rays were also at the forefront of other innovations and/or adjustments, such as defensive shifts, lineup platoons, matchup bullpens, star-quality super-utility players and putting a numbers nerd (technically a process and analytics coach) in the dugout. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026 Heriberto Hernandez and super-utility player Javier Sanoja were the only right-handed hitters who could see steady time in the outfield. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for utility

Recent Examples of Synonyms for utility

Noun

Even if astronauts never go to Mars, the usefulness of this technique on Earth is clear.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
In the ongoing debate about the usefulness of data centers, or the overwhelming curse of the same, both sides have their arguments.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of usefulness

Adjective

Blue laws in Arkansas included bans on card games, hunting, horse racing and other activities on Sundays.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
The back end should be able to move the puck better and avoid long stretches in their own end, and assuming relative health, other players like Braden Schneider will no longer have to play too high in the lineup.

— Peter Baugh, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of other

Noun

At that point, the cost and structure of risk transfer may warrant the same financial analysis leadership applies to debt, capital expenditures and other major cash uses.

— Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Seat belt use may be considered as part of the broader circumstances surrounding a collision, but general danger is not evidence that this particular crash produced a worse fracture pattern or a worse spinal finding than a belt would have.

— Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of use

Adjective

Last month, Congo began vaccinating health and other front-line workers with the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type called Zaire.

— JEAN-YVES KAMALE, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Indian dark and African dark were a different story altogether, seeming to hold something more sinister.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of different

Noun

For decades, Washington strove to align perceptions across theaters, to little avail.

— Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
After that, when the impossibility of recovering anyone else became clear, Al-Zaharnah and others kept hoping international organizations would convince Israel to allow more construction equipment, but to little avail.

— Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of avail

Adjective

Graphite is a key battery material, and securing alternative sources and production methods is part of efforts to strengthen US battery supply chains.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
Held at Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta, Shaky Knees mixes major alternative acts with indie-rock veterans and emerging artists.

— Courtney Devores, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of alternative

Adjective

As fishermen wrestled their catches out of flimsy fiberglass boats near a makeshift shoreside market recently, several stopped to talk with CNN, complaining that the war is ruining business.

— Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Unlike the makeshift sand berms built by the city, his house is protected by a natural mound fortified with resilient pickleweed.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of makeshift

Adjective

At the separate meetings with Hun Sen and Hun Manet, Min Aung Hlaing emphasized that Myanmar was working to strengthen cooperation within ASEAN, MRTV said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
Engine-builder Aerojet Rocketdyne, now split into separate companies, submitted an unsolicited offer to buy ULA for $2 billion in 2015.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of separate

Browse Nearby Words

utilitarian

utility

utilizable

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“Utility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/utility. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of utility

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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