26984 words

utility

12 definitions • 22 examples
1
a service that is used by the public, such as an electricity or gas supply:

Examples:

We each pay £500 in rent plus utilities.
2
a company that provides a service such as an electricity or gas supply:

Examples:

Utilities say they've been deluged by people who are having trouble paying their bills.
For several years utilities that provide drinking water have kept emergency pumps on standby.
3
the usefulness of something, especially in a practical way:

Examples:

The utility of this substance has been proven in a series of tests.
Under such conditions, a common medium of exchange would have no utility at all.
4
of a sports player, able to play effectively in different positions:

Examples:

Jones is a utility infielder, a strong player at every position.
He functioned as England's utility batsman, the man who could be relied upon to plug any hole in any crisis.
5
able to do several different things well:

Examples:

I recommend this innovative utility tool that can handle all sorts of cutting projects.
6

Examples:

She wore an outdoorsy utility jacket but somehow managed to make farming look chic.
After the war material and good design were in short supply and the country produced what was called utility clothing.
It was a student's room with utility furniture and posters on the walls.
7

Examples:

Its basic utility lies in being able to drive where other vehicles can’t go.
8
a supply of gas, electricity, water, or telephone service to homes and businesses, or a business that supplies such services:

Examples:

a utility bill
After I call the movers, I’ll call to have the utilities turned on.
9

Examples:

utility bill/company/costs Please enclose a copy of a recent utility bill as proof of address.
10
a large company that provides a service such as electricity, gas, etc.:

Examples:

We are a natural gas utility serving over a million customers in the Michigan area.
With energy consumption rising, many public utilities are struggling to meet peak-time demand.
11
a computer program that is used to do a particular task:

Examples:

12
how useful something is:

Examples:

The product became popular thanks to its high utility in many different situations.

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