USEFULNESS Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

usefulness

noun

ˈyüs-fəl-nəs

Definition of usefulness

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of usefulness Inside Kalshi, employees have debated the usefulness of mention markets, with Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara especially championing them, according to the former Kalshi staffer. — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 13 Aug. 2026 As the report found, TV ads have not outlived their usefulness. — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 Picky Miss Manners is not quite happy that any submitted so far would pass her test for usefulness. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026 Today’s class of Arab comics agrees that this mode of comedy, while necessary at the time, has outlived its usefulness. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for usefulness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for usefulness

Noun

Davis shared her thoughts alongside a side-by-side comparison of the costume with 19th-century minstrel imagery, which perpetuated racist stereotypes about Black Americans and involved the use of blackface.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
But experts on the use of artificial intelligence in combat say that line already has been crossed.

— Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of use

Noun

For decades, Washington strove to align perceptions across theaters, to little avail.

— Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
After that, when the impossibility of recovering anyone else became clear, Al-Zaharnah and others kept hoping international organizations would convince Israel to allow more construction equipment, but to little avail.

— Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of avail

Noun

And the utilities responsible for the grid have largely responded by asking to be shielded from competition.

— Joshua Macey, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
This combination—strong binding but limited activation—is central to the clinical utility of buprenorphine.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of utility

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useful

usefulness

useless

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“Usefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usefulness. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of usefulness

noun

Example Sentences

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