utility
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
utility/juːˈtɪləti/
▶noun (pl. utilities)
- 1 the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial.
■ (in game theory or economics) the value of that which is sought to be maximized in any situation involving a choice.
- 2 a public utility.
- 3 Computing a utility program.
- 1 useful, especially through having several functions.
- 2 functional rather than attractive.
– origin ME: from OFr. utilite, from L. utilitas, from utilis ‘useful’.
'utility' also found in these Oxford entries:
hydro
- multi-utility
- pop-up
- public utility
- ratepayer
- rebate
- sport utility
- SUV
- ute
- utility knife
- utility pole
- utility program
- utility room
- utility vehicle
- watchdog
- X-acto knife
