utility

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A basic public service such as electricity, gas, or water supplied to homes and businesses.

   Our rent includes all utilities like water and electricity.

2. 2
   noun

   The quality of being useful or practical.

   Engineers questioned the utility of the expensive new design.

3. 3
   noun

   A small computer program that helps run or maintain a system.

   She downloaded a utility to clean up her hard drive.

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

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