futility

noun

fu·​til·​i·​ty fyü-ˈti-lə-tē 

plural futilities

1

: the quality or state of being futile : uselessness

His speech focused on the futility of violence.

2

: a useless act or gesture

the futilities of debate for its own sake

—W. A. White

Examples of futility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The pragmatists have reason to hope that the Israeli and American bombardment will ultimately strengthen their position by having shown the futility and destructiveness of Khamenei’s antagonism. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025

Perhaps a tipping point will come when Moscow begins to recognize the utter futility of this war and the long-term economic damage to Russia starts to outweigh the costs of acknowledging that the war’s political objective cannot be met. —Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2025

While making a paper airplane is an exercise in creativity, flying one is an exercise in functionality, if not futility. —Michael Monson, Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2025

As the quality of (some) shows on Broadway improves, so does the difficulty and futility of ranking them. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French and Latin; French futilité, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin fūtilitāt-, fūtilitās (also futtilitāt-, futtilitās) "unprofitableness, uselessness," from fūtilis, futtilis "brittle, fragile (of containers), serving no purpose, pointless" + -itāt- -itās -ity — more at futile

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing futility

• exercise in futility

Rhymes for futility

• ability
• agility
• civility
• debility
• docility
• ductility
• facility
• fertility
• fragility
• gentility
• hostility
• humility

Kids Definition

futility

noun

fu·​til·​i·​ty ˌfyu̇-ˈtil-ət-ē 

plural futilities

1

: the quality or state of being futile

2

: a useless act