WordofTheDay.US

utility

/juːˈtɪlɪti/ noun

In Latin: utilitas Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about utility at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A company that performs a public service; subject to government regulation.
  2. The quality of being of practical use.
  3. The service (electric power or water or transportation) provided by a public utility.
    the cost of utilities never decreases

adjective

  1. Used of beef; usable but inferior.
  2. Capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team.
    a utility infielder

Origin

From Middle English utilite, from Old French utilite, utilitet (“usefulness”), from Latin ūtilitās, from uti (“to use”). By surface analysis, utile + -ity.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)