sb. Also 5–6 vtilite (6 -ie), 6 utillitie (7 Sc. vtillatie), utilite, 7 -ie. (a. OF. utilitei, utelite (1291), utilitet (12th c.), etc. (F. utilite), ad. L. ūtilitāt-, ūtilitās, f. ūtili-s UTILE a. Cf. Sp. utilidad, Pg. -idade, It. utilità.]
1. The fact, character, or quality of being useful or serviceable; fitness for some desirable purpose or valuable end; usefulness, serviceableness.
In frequent use c. 1540–c. 1650, and from c. 1755. The constructions in the two earliest quots. are obsolete.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 26. The vtilite to knowe the Assenciouns in the rihte cercle.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 55. Maners of curacions … to be noted vnder compendiousnez to þe vtilite of helyng.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xciv. 424 (Add. MS.). I clad my seruaunte, that is, my manhode, nought but to vtterly vtilite and necessite.
1528. R. Thorne, in Hakl., Voy. (1589), 251. The commoditie and vtilitie of this Nauigation.
c. 1566. J. Alday, trans. Boaystuau’s Theat. World, S ij. The wonderfull Invention, Utilitie and Dignitie of Printing.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 19. Where … the attractive pleasure and sweetenesse of speech, is not without some fruit nor void of utilitie.
1651. Hobbes, Leviathan, IV. xliv. 349. The utility of Prayer for the Dead.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 93, ¶ 1. Hé discussed the utility … of the Islington turnpike.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), II. 266. The circular court is a picturesque thought, but without meaning or utility.
1801. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., IV. 418. A cottage … more calculated for utility than ornament.
1841. Elphinstone, Hist. Ind., II. 71. The extent and utility of his public works.
1871. Mozley, Univ. Serm., vi. (1876), 124. The older poetical view brought in more the utility and active force of nature.
1878. Jevons, Prim. Pol. Econ., 15. Everything which forms a part of wealth must be useful, or have utility.
b. In the phrase of (…) utility.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., III. 524. Rootys smale of noon vtilite Cutte of.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshman (Percy Soc.), 5. Fayre warkes of grete utylyte.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, V. i. 139. Which thinke you to be of most vtilitie in the warres?
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., II. ¶ 32. This victory … was of no real utility.
1778. Learning at a Loss, II. 11. Five thousand other Instruments of Equestrian Utility.
1801. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., IV. 424. Those in whose hands … [life] is an engine of either private or public utility.
1831. D. E. Williams, Life & Corr. Sir T. Lawrence, II. 42. The habit … is of the greatest utility.
1857. Ruskin, Pol. Econ. Art, I. The two great objects of utility and splendour.
c. Philos. The ability, capacity, or power of a person, action, or thing to satisfy the needs or gratify the desires of the majority, or of the human race as a whole.
1751. Hume, Princ. Mor., V. 73. In common Life … the Circumstance of Utility is always appeal’d to.
1780. Bentham, Princ. Legisl., i. (1789), p. iii. An action then may be said to be conformable to the principle of utility … when the tendency it has to augment the happiness of the community is greater than any it has to diminish it.
1785. Paley, Moral & Pol. Philos., I. vi. Or must we give up our principle, that the criterion of right is utility?
1830. Mackintosh, Progr. Eth. Philos., vi. Wks. 1846, I. 194. A theory founded on Utility … requires that we should cultivate … those other habitual dispositions which we know … to be generally the source of actions beneficial to ourselves and our fellows.
1861. Mill, Utilit., ii. (1863), 9. The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle.
1883. H. Sidgwick, Pol. Econ., I. iii. 77. There is another difficulty lurking in the conception of Utility as a measure of wealth.
† 2. The quality of being advantageous or profitable, profit, advantage, use. Freq. const. of (a person, etc.). Obs.
In frequent use c. 1535–c. 1580, esp. coupled with profit.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., III. 485. This wey is light and more vtilite.
1455. Paston Lett., I. 365. Charges born and payd … for the avauncement of his conquest, the good and utilite of hym, of his seyd royaume and duchie forseid.
1471. Caxton, Recuyell (Sommer), 120. This is ayenst your prosperite and utilite.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., VI. (Percy Soc.), 25. You shall, quod she, my scyence wel lerne, In tyme and space, to your gret utilite.
1533–4. Act 25 Hen. VIII., c. 9 § 1. To the greate profete and vtilitie of a greate number of the Kynges Subjectes.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent, Ded. ¶ iii b. What vtilitie foloweth the studie of Hystories.
1657. Rec. Old Aberd. (New Spalding Club), I. 94. The hundreth merkis … left in legacie be … George Clerk … for the vse and vtillatie of the said cittie.
1698. Keill, Exam. Th. Earth, 63. Choosing such … positions of things as bring with them the greatest good and utility to the Universe.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), 238. Circuit Courts was [sic] introduced for the manifest Utility of the Lieges.
3. A useful, advantageous, or profitable thing, feature, etc.; a use. Chiefly in pl.
1483. Caxton, Cato, a viij b. By the comyn wele of a londe is saued all synguler prouffytes and utylyties. Ibid. (1489), Faytes of A., I. vi. 14. For the regarde of somme particuler vtilite.
1502. Arnolde, Chron., Index (1811), 6. That money … to be chosen … for necessites and vtylites of the same cite.
1541. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., B iij b. The scyence of the Nathomy is … nedefull to the Cyrurgyen for .iiij. vtylyties.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretorie, I. (1595), 142. Iudge by your owne decernment … howe greatlie you are ledde awrie, in thus careleslie roaming vpon others vtilities.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, VII. i. 496. If therefore there were no other fruite in the Historie … of the Indians, but this common vtilitie.
1659. Pearson, Creed, i. 34. Which no man who considereth the uses and utilities of every species can deny.
1688. Boyle, Final Causes Nat. Things, iii. 82. Of several of his creatures, whereof men … make some uses, they shall hereafter discover other utilities.
1775. Harris, Philos. Arrangem., ix. 196. The Knowledge of Nature, and the Utilities of common Life.
1800. W. Taylor, in Robberds, Mem. (1843), I. 355. Genius never was remarkable for teaching the practical utilities.
1876. Holland, Seven Oaks, xii. 169. It had lifted him above the bare utilities of a house, so that he could see the use of beauty.
1908. S. E. White, Riverman, xxviii. Heinzman wanted the improvements … sold as a public utility to the highest bidder.
b. Pol. Econ. (See quots., and cf. 1 c.)
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., I. iii. I. 56. What we produce … is always … an utility. Labour is not creative of objects, but of utilities.
1904. R. T. Ely & Wicker, Elem. Princ. Economics, 81. A good or utility is anything which can satisfy a human want.
4. Short for utility actor (sense 5 a).
1885. Jerome, On the Stage, 80. A ‘lead’ may get three pounds…, and a young ‘utility’ thinks himself very well off indeed on a guinea.
1889. H. B. Baker, London Stage, II. 168. She was playing utility, that is to say, going on for anything, at the Park Theatre.
5. attrib. passing into adj.: a. Utility actor, an actor of the smallest speaking-parts in a play; so utility-business; utility man, (a) a utility actor; (b) U.S. a substitute capable of taking any position in a baseball team (Webster’s Dict., 1911).
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 383/1. At one of the theatres,… I eventually rose to a ‘general utility man,’ at 12s. per week.
1860. Cornh. Mag., II. 748. Known respectively as ‘eccentric comedian’ and ‘utility actor.’ Ibid. The leading lady … and the utility man will all act in the same way.
1879. Era Almanack, 46. The drudgery of ‘utility’ business.
b. Of a dog, fowl, etc.: That is bred, reared, or kept to serve a useful end or object as distinct from purposes of beauty, display, show, etc.
1877. Stables, Pract. Kennel Guide, 96. The Points of Utility Dogs, including the Newfoundland, the Collie [etc.].
1903. H. Francklin (title), Incubating and Rearing Utility Fowls.
1904. Daily Chron., 10 Feb., 3/2. The utility poultry keeper.
1908. Westm. Gaz., 29 Sept., 4/2. A utility vehicle … good for ten or even fifteen years’ hard service.
