the quality of practical use; usefulness; serviceability
b.
(as modifier)
a utility fabric
2.
something useful
3.
a.
a public service, such as the bus system; public utility
b.
(as modifier)
utility vehicle
4. economics
a.
the ability of a commodity to satisfy human wants
b.
the amount of such satisfaction
disutility
5. statistics
a.
a measure of the total benefit or disadvantage attaching to each of a set of alternative courses of action
b.
(as modifier)
utility function
See also expected utility, decision theory
6. Also called: utility truck or (informal) ute Australian and New Zealand
a small truck with an open body and low sides, often with a removable tarpaulin cover; pick-up
7.
a piece of computer software designed for a routine task, such as examining or copying files
Word origin
C14: from Old French utelite, from Latin ūtilitās usefulness, from ūtī to use
Examples of 'utilities' in a sentence
utilities
There were my first utilities bills, a cashmere brochure and an Oxfam Christmas catalogue.
Isabel Wolff RESCUING ROSE (2001)
They paid our regular wages, the utilities and 10,000 guilder extra.
Terman, Douglas CORMORANT (2001)
When it comes to switching utilities, we're stumped.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
However, the fundamental reasons for buying utilities remain intact.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Utilities scaled back output by more than 1 per cent.
Globe and Mail (2003)
Are the nation's utilities ready to handle the load?
Houston Chronicle (2010)
Utilities did the worst, losing 0.6 percent.
Houston Chronicle (2011)
Citing security reasons, utilities declined to identify which areas lost power.
Houston Chronicle (2001)
The health service cannot be treated in the same way as other 'utilities'.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
None was for luxuries, just household utilities and rent.
The Sun (2011)
All related terms of 'utilities'
utility
The utility of something is its usefulness.
utility program
a program for carrying out routine tasks , such as examining or copying files
multi-utilities
a public utility that provides more than one essential service, such as gas and electricity
public utility
Public utilities are services provided by the government or state, such as the supply of electricity and gas , or the train network .
sports utility
a high-powered vehicle with four-wheel drive , originally designed for off-road use
sport utility
a high-powered vehicle with four-wheel drive, originally designed for off-road use
expected utility
the weighted average utility of the possible outcomes of a probabilistic situation; the sum or integral of the product of the probability distribution and the utility function
marginal utility
the extra utility or satisfaction derived by a consumer from the consumption of the last unit of a commodity
sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a powerful vehicle with four-wheel drive that can be driven over rough ground . The abbreviation → SUV is often used.