Utile

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈjuː.taɪl/

Definitions

1. Having practical value in a specific setting or circumstance
2. Serving a positive role or function that contributes to achieving a particular aim
3. Useful in real-world situations or tasks where it can be applied effectively ; contributing usefully towards accomplishing a desired result or purpose

Etymology: "Utile" arrived in English from Middle French, which had taken it from Old French "utele" and, before that, from Latin "ūtilis," meaning "useful." The Latin word itself came from "ūtī," "to use," so the core idea of usefulness has been built into the term from the start. The English word is a fairly plain borrowing rather than a coinage, and it kept its sense of practical service through the centuries. What makes it unusual today is how rarely it appears outside formal or philosophical writing, where it tends to be preferred over "useful" when a writer wants a more precise or technical tone. Its close relative "utility," from the same Latin stem, has moved further into everyday speech and into economic and philosophical vocabulary, while "utile" itself has stayed a somewhat specialised adjective.

Synonyms: useful, beneficial, advantageous, helpful, practical

Antonyms: useless, unhelpful, ineffective, impractical, harmful