a company that performs a public service; subject to government regulation
the quality of being of practical use
the service (electric power or water or transportation) provided by a public utility;"the cost of utilities never decreases" "all the utilities were lost after the hurricane"
(economics) a measure that is to be maximized in any situation involving choice
(computer science) a program designed for general support of the processes of a computer;"a computer system provides utility programs to perform the tasks needed by most users"
a facility composed of one or more pieces of equipment connected to or part of a structure and designed to provide a service such as heat or electricity or water or sewage disposal;"the price of the house included all utilities"
Adjective:
used of beef; usable but inferior
capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team;"a utility infielder"
中英词源
utility 功用，公用事业
来自拉丁语uti, 使用，利用，用来指功用，公用事业。
utility
utility: see use
utility (n.)
late 14c., "fact of being useful," from Old French utilite "usefulness" (13c., Modern French + utilité), earlier utilitet (12c.), from Latin utilitatem (nominative utilitas) "usefulness, serviceableness, profit," from utilis "usable," from uti (see use (v.)). Meaning "a useful thing" is from late 15c. As a shortened form of public utility it is recorded from 1930.
词态变化
复数 utilities;
权威造句
1. Belief in the utility of higher education is shared by students nationwide.
全国的学生都相信高等教育是有用的。
来自柯林斯例句
2. A fur coat has more utility in winter than in autumn.
毛皮外衣在冬天比在秋天更有用.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.
这种器皿中看不中用.
来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4. The utility focuses on geometry only at point.
在这点上,utility仅仅聚焦几何条件.
来自互联网
5. Even the survey"s most rabid critics acknowledge the utility of this kind of data.
