usefulnessuse‧ful‧ness /ˈjuːsfəlnəs/ ●○○ noun [uncountable] 
There are doubts as to the usefulness of this approach (=it may not be useful). As a commuter service, the ferry has outlived its usefulness (=is no longer useful).
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Statistics have some usefulness in the study of public health issues.
- The test's usefulness in measuring intelligence is limited.
- We are beginning to think that this factory has outlived its usefulness as our main supplier.
- But then at Boots we pride ourselves on our usefulness to mums.
- Its usefulness overstated, its flexibility limited, it may even increase teacher workload, despite claims to the contrary.
- The answer lies in the usefulness of the belief to the individual members.
- The Internet has a wealth of information for gardeners, but in widely varying degrees of usefulness.
- Yet, as education began to spread, women all over questioned its usefulness and validity.
Longman Language Activatorthe quality of being useful
· Statistics have some usefulness in the study of public health issues.outlive its usefulness (=not be useful any more) · We are beginning to think that this factory has outlived its usefulness as our main supplier.
formal how useful and effective something is: · Demonstrations allow customers to get an immediate idea of a product's utility.· I have severe doubts about the utility of examinations on subjects which have been learned parrot-fashion.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY As a commuter service, the ferry has outlived its usefulness (=is no longer useful).COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
As a commuter service, the ferry has outlived its usefulness (=is no longer useful).· However, the restrictions imposed on these special rates tend to limit their usefulness for many advertisers.· The inflexible central scheduling of over-the-air broadcast transmissions severely limited the usefulness of educational television programs in individual classrooms.· The notation is basically numerical and non-expressive, the latter aspect being felt to limit the scheme's usefulness in computerized databases.· All this has no doubt limited the perceived usefulness of union membership to workers.
· It also includes discouraging cultural traits that have outlived their usefulness and may be otherwise harmful to society.· Daniels said a number of programs that were being recommended for elimination had outlived their usefulness while others had never been successful.· In his view peace conferences were a waste of time; the old elm had outlived its usefulness.· Even the message on the answering machine has outlived its usefulness, providing no current or future information.· By contrast, the over-hyped Times Guide to 1992 now seems to have outlived its usefulness.· In order to enhance his credibility Fedora was allowed to expose John Vassall who by then had outlived his usefulness.· And when they have outlived their usefulness, they are slaughtered or sold cheaply for lab experiments.· I question, personally, whether these inspectors have not outlived their usefulness.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- And when they have outlived their usefulness, they are slaughtered or sold cheaply for lab experiments.
- By contrast, the over-hyped Times Guide to 1992 now seems to have outlived its usefulness.
- Daniels said a number of programs that were being recommended for elimination had outlived their usefulness while others had never been successful.
- Even the message on the answering machine has outlived its usefulness, providing no current or future information.
- I question, personally, whether these inspectors have not outlived their usefulness.
- In his view peace conferences were a waste of time; the old elm had outlived its usefulness.
- In order to enhance his credibility Fedora was allowed to expose John Vassall who by then had outlived his usefulness.
- It also includes discouraging cultural traits that have outlived their usefulness and may be otherwise harmful to society.
WORD FAMILYnounusageusedisusemisusereuseusefulness ≠ uselessnessuseradjectivereusableused ≠ unuseddisuseduseful ≠ uselessusable ≠ unusableverbusemisusereuseadverbusefully ≠ uselessly
the state of being useful or the degree to which something is usefulusefulness of There are doubts as to the usefulness of this approach (=it may not be useful). As a commuter service, the ferry has outlived its usefulness (=is no longer useful).