utilitarian
/juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛəɹi.ən/
utilitarian means of or relating to utility. It carries an Arena rating of 1405, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, utilitarian ranks #4,863 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #5,863 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #7,243 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #8,867 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
utilitarian is pronounced /juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛəɹi.ən/.
Why “utilitarian” is a great word
Having value chiefly in its practical application or functional benefit, not in its beauty or ornamentation. From utility (meaning 'usefulness, benefit') and the suffix -arian (meaning 'advocate or believer in'), coined by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham around 1781. Unlike the ornate, which exists to be admired, or the deontological, which is bound by principle, the utilitarian exists to be used—and judges every action by its consequence. It is the gray steel of a factory floor, the unadorned handle of a well-worn tool, and the cold calculus that trades a single life for five; a philosophy where the soul of a thing is measured solely by the weight of its work, a world stripped of flourish where beauty is weighed and found wanting against the hard currency of use.
Etymology
From utility + -arian. Coined by English philosopher Jeremy Bentham as early as 1781, and popularized by his student John Stuart Mill, who mistakenly attributed the term to John Galt.
adj
- Of or relating to utility.
- Pertaining to utilitarianism.
- Practical and functional, present for use, not just for show.e.g.“The semi-streamlined contour of the earlier G.W.R. railcars has been given up in favour of a more utilitarian blunt-nose end, and effective floor space gained thereby.” — 1941 October, “Notes and News: Great Western Parcels Railcar”, in Railway Magazine, page 474:
noun
- Someone who practices or advocates utilitarianism.e.g.“Before his companies collapsed, Mr. Bankman-Fried often described himself as a utilitarian — meaning that he made decisions designed to advance the greater good.” — 2023 October 11, David Yaffe-Bellany, Matthew Goldstein, J. Edward Moreno, “Caroline Ellison Says She and Sam Bankman-Fried Lied for Years”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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