usefulness

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈjusfəlnəs/ UK /ˈjuːsfəlnəs/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
the quality of being able to be used for a purpose; utility

The tool proved its usefulness on the very first day.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the quality of being able... utility value benefit worth helpfulness practicality effectiveness

Opposites

uselessness futility worthlessness

Word family

Related forms use useful useless

Etymology

From useful (use plus -ful) plus -ness; use is from Old French user, from Latin uti ('to use, employ').

uti Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# usefulness

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈjusfəlnəs
**IPA (UK):** ˈjuːsfəlnəs

## Meanings
1. the quality of being able to be used for a purpose; utility

## Examples
- The tool proved its usefulness on the very first day.

## Synonyms
- utility
- value
- benefit
- worth
- helpfulness
- practicality
- effectiveness

## Antonyms
- uselessness
- futility
- worthlessness

## Related Forms
- use
- useful
- useless

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: uti

## Etymology
From useful (use plus -ful) plus -ness; use is from Old French user, from Latin uti ('to use, employ').

## AI Etymology
Usefulness comes from useful (use plus -ful) plus -ness; use is from Old French user, from Latin uti ('to use, employ'). The historical chain includes Latin uti. The quoted older sense, "to use, employ," supplies the immediate semantic anchor for usefulness. The formation is best read as borrowed: the word usefulness carries its older form-history into a compact English lexical shape. In present English it is used as a noun, "the quality of being able to be used for a purpose; utility". Related English forms include use, useful, and useless. The result is a noun whose etymology preserves both the older form and the later English specialization.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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