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

Solar generation includes both utility-scale solar and rooftop. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 Klobuchar added that the FBI and Environmental Protection Agency have issued warnings to water utilities across the country about potential cyberattacks. — Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 31 July 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

The result is deeper retention, stronger memory and community built on usefulness rather than visibility.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Wolf offered hints of rotational usefulness last season, but his clock-killing, ball-stopping dribbles to nowhere stood out more in a summer-league environment where his team was actually trying to win.

— John Hollinger, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of usefulness

Adjective

The Big Bend Sector has not experienced the high number of border crossings seen in recent years in other areas farther south along the Rio Grande or in Arizona or California, owing to the remote and challenging terrain on both sides of the border.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Today, some bright spots aside, the Art Deco District’s historic commercial spine is a drab length of vacant and unkempt storefronts, smoke shops, liquor stores, fast-food outlets, cheap T-shirt emporia and other varieties of tourist trap.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026

Definition of other

Noun

And as for Amazon’s core cloud business, which has seen its own boost from post-training reinforcement learning and agent tool use, Jassy noted that 85% of global IT spending is still on-premises.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 31 July 2026
All of the rentals below make good use of this accessibility, with many just a few minutes from the destination’s iconic surf.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 31 July 2026

Definition of use

Adjective

After airing a 19th season that limped its way to the finish line, Bravo probably should have tried something a little different for the next one.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 31 July 2026
In the comics, Battleworld stitched together all the different worlds and plopped every hero and their variant into one new universe.

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of different

Noun

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
Ronaldo tried a bicycle kick on the rebound, to no avail.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 June 2026

Definition of avail

Adjective

Midi Skirts Midiskirts are the breezy, pants-alternative summer trend that’s taking the spot of the boho maxiskirt trend that’s dominated the past few years.

— Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 21 July 2026
Consumers increasingly value flexibility, so dealerships and automakers should market leasing around affordability, convenience and the ability to upgrade to newer vehicles, rather than treating it as an alternative financing option.

— Zoriy Birenboym, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of alternative

Adjective

The beams, in a 32-story project at 222 Broadway expected to yield nearly 800 apartment units, had been wrapped in steel as a makeshift fix, the agency said.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Small changes, like the arrows and the makeshift shelf, have made a huge difference in her shooting and confidence.

— Beka Garris, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026

Definition of makeshift

Adjective

The city has not enforced the loan’s default provisions, even after Step Up settled a separate $3 million state lawsuit over undelivered Project Homekey housing.

— Ruyuan Li. Summary produced by AI assistance, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
On Wednesday, two firefighters died on the island, while a third firefighter died battling a separate blaze on the Greek mainland.

— Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 31 July 2026

Definition of separate

Browse Nearby Words

utilitarian

utility

utilizable

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Cite this Entry

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“Utility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/utility. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of utility

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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