utility

Noun
  1. A company that performs a public service;
    Subject to government regulation (synset 108202676)
    is a type of: service - a company or agency that performs a public service; subject to government regulation
    subtypes:
    same as: public utility, public utility company, public-service corporation
  2. The quality of being of practical use (synset 105155946)
    tells us about:
    • useful, utile - being of use or service
    • useless - having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
    is a type of: quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
    subtypes:
    same as: usefulness
  3. The service (electric power or water or transportation) provided by a public utility (synset 100580371)
    "the cost of utilities never decreases"; "all the utilities were lost after the hurricane"
    is a type of: service - work done by one person or group that benefits another
  4. (economics) a measure that is to be maximized in any situation involving choice (synset 113601261)
    referred to in: economic science, economics, political economy - the branch of social science that deals with the production and distribution and consumption of goods and services and their management
    is a type of: metric, system of measurement - a system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic
    subtypes: marginal utility - (economics) the amount that utility increases with an increase of one unit of an economic good or service
  5. (computer science) a program designed for general support of the processes of a computer (synset 106593586)
    "a computer system provides utility programs to perform the tasks needed by most users"
    referred to in: computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures
    is a type of: computer program, computer programme, program, programme - (computer science) a sequence of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute
    subtypes:
    • device driver, driver - (computer science) a program that determines how a computer will communicate with a peripheral device
    • diagnostic program - a program that recognizes and explains faults in the equipment or mistakes in a computer program
    • input program - a utility program that organizes the input to a computer
    • output program - a utility program that organizes the output of a computer
    • sort program, sorting program - a utility program that sorts data items
    • trace program - a utility program that exhibits the sequence and results of executing the instructions in another program
    has: service routine, utility routine - a routine that can be used as needed
    same as: service program, utility program
  6. 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 (synset 104524169)
    "the price of the house included all utilities"
    is a type of: facility, installation - a building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry
    subtypes:
Adjective
  1. Used of beef;
    Usable but inferior (synset 302356915)
    similar to: inferior - of low or inferior quality
    same as: utility-grade
  2. Capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team (synset 301861341)
    "a utility infielder"
    similar to: secondary - being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate
    same as: substitute

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