as in use
the capacity for being useful for some purpose
the well-known usefulness of thick phone books as seat boosters for short diners
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Recent Examples of usefulness
Value of major league teams apparently held by owners is based on personal desires, preferences and judgments for their usefulness.
—
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
The crevice attachment’s usefulness isn’t limited to just appliances.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Coupling batteries with natural gas also promises to extend the life and usefulness of fossil fuel plants.
—Mark Chediak, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
The nation-state had a good run, but its usefulness may have come to an end.
—Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for usefulness
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
The crevice attachment’s usefulness isn’t limited to just appliances.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Coupling batteries with natural gas also promises to extend the life and usefulness of fossil fuel plants.
—Mark Chediak, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
The nation-state had a good run, but its usefulness may have come to an end.
—Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for usefulness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usefulness
Noun
-
Other bills could lead to new relief for small businesses in the future, with lawmakers endorsing the creation of studies and working groups that will look at things like supporting artificial intelligence use by small businesses and tourism.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Rice is the main food staple for much of the population and most of Myanmar’s rice cultivation is for domestic use.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The excavator dumped bucketfuls of what had been reëxamined, to no avail, into a pile on the street, kicking up dust.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
Defenseman Jay Wells pleaded with Keenan to pull him in favor of Leetch, the team’s usual power-play quarterback, but to no avail.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
Travis Miller, an energy and utilities analyst for Morningstar, said utility executives on earnings calls are emphasizing efforts to cut costs or protect residential customers from the cost to supply electricity to data centers.—
Marc Levy,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
-
The higher performance in the Pro models also enhances the utility of Apple Intelligence, not just out of the gate, but also in years to come, when more performance is needed, the Pro models will be better able to provide ongoing support.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Usefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usefulness. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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