utilitarian
English · Thesaurus
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utilitarian
- /juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛəɹi.ən/ UK
- /juˌtɪləˈtɛɹi.ən/
Where it comes from
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.
adjective more utilitarian · most utilitarian
- Of or relating to utility.
- Pertaining to utilitarianism.
- Practical and functional, present for use, not just for show. 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.
noun utilitarians
- Someone who practices or advocates utilitarianism. Before his companies collapsed, Mr. Bankman-Fried often described himself as a utilitarian — meaning that he made decisions designed to advance the greater good.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: functional, utile, useful, practical, materialistic, commercial, crassly, heavy-duty, pragmatic, serviceable, workaday, no-nonsense, plain, unadorned, efficient, purposeful
Translations
Every language
adj of or relating to utility
| Deutsch | nützlich, zweckmäßig |
|---|---|
| Русский | утили́тный utilítnyj |
adj pertaining to utilitarianism
| 한국어 | 공리주의적인 gongnijuuijeogin |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 功利的な kōriteki na |
| Português | utilitário |
| Français | utilitariste |
| Deutsch | utilitaristisch |
| Italiano | utilitaristico |
| Română | utilitarist |
| Русский | утилитари́стский utilitarístskij |
adj practical and functional, not just for show
| 中文 | 功利主義 /功利主义 hant |
|---|---|
| Français | utilitaire, fonctionnel, fonctionnelle |
| Deutsch | zweckmäßig |
| Ελληνικά | πρακτικός praktikós, λειτουργικός leitourgikós |
| Русский | утилита́рный utilitárnyj |
| עברית | תועלתי toalti |
noun Someone who practices or advocates utilitarianism.
| Português | utilitarista |
|---|---|
| Français | utilitariste |
| Deutsch | Utilitarist |
| Ελληνικά | ωφελιμιστής ofelimistís, ωφελιμίστρια ofelimístria |
| Română | utilitarist, utilitaristă |
Talk about this word "utilitarian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/utilitarian. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. utilitarian. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/utilitarian "utilitarian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/utilitarian.Cite this
@misc{utilitarian_2026,
title = {utilitarian},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/utilitarian},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
