From Middle English utilite, from Old French utilite, utilitet ("usefulness"), from Latin ūtilitās, from uti ("to use").

• (RP) IPA: /juːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/, /jəˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/
• (America) IPA: /juˈtɪl.ə.ti/, [juˈtɪl.ə.ɾi]

utility

1. The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
   • 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], “III”, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC ↗:

     "The profession has its utility, but I should be sorry to see any friend of mine belonging to it."

2. Something that is useful.
3. (economics) The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity.
4. (philosophy) Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness.
5. (business) A commodity or service provided on a continuous basis by a physical infrastructure network, such as electricity, water supply or sewerage.

   Synonyms: service

6. (business, finance, by extension) A natural or legal monopoly distributer of such a utility; or, the securities of such a provider.
7. (computing) A software program designed to perform a single task or a small range of tasks, often to help manage and tune computer hardware, an operating system or application software.

   I've bought a new disk utility that can recover deleted files.

8. (sports) The ability to play multiple positions.
9. (Australia, New Zealand) A coupé utility, or ute; an automobile with an open tray or bed behind the passenger cabin.

• disutility
• inutility

• French: utilité
• German: Nützlichkeit
• Italian: utilità
• Portuguese: utilidade
• Russian: поле́зность
• Spanish: utilidad

• French: utilitaire
• Italian: attrezzo, strumento
• Portuguese: utilidade
• Russian: поле́зная вещь
• Spanish: conveniencia

• German: Grundversorgung

• Italian: fornitore, servizio
• Spanish: proveedor de servicios

• Russian: обслуживающая программа

1. Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider.

   utility line; utility bill

2. (Of a building or its components) containing or intended for any of a building’s often-utility-related commodity transport, such as pipes or wires, or converting equipment, such as furnaces, water tanks or heaters, circuit breakers, central air conditioning units, laundry facilities, etc.

   utility room; utility corridor

3. Functional rather than attractive.

• (state of being useful) usefulness, value, advantages, benefit, return, merits, virtue, note
• See also Thesaurus:utility