useful

adjective

use·​ful ˈyüs-fəl How to pronounce useful (audio)
Synonyms of usefulnext
1
: capable of being put to use
especially : serviceable for an end or purpose
useful tools
2
: of a valuable or productive kind
do something useful with your life
usefully
ˈyüs-fə-lē How to pronounce useful (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of useful

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Examples of useful in a Sentence

Does anyone have any useful suggestions? It can be useful to know CPR. The Internet is useful for finding information quickly. She has become one of the team's most useful players. Why don't you do something useful with your life?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Drones have already become useful tools for police departments. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026 As satellites generate growing volumes of data, the challenge is increasingly how quickly that information can be processed and translated into useful intelligence. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 But the technology is also useful for national security, and those applications don’t require the same level of power-generating fusion success that the electrical grid does. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Ukraine’s battlefield experiences may offer useful lessons for the Pentagon, which has spent decades developing and testing uncrewed aircraft for casualty evacuation missions without actually putting them into operation. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for useful

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of useful was in 1595

Phrases Containing useful

Browse Nearby Words

usee
useful
useful idiot
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Cite this Entry

“Useful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/useful. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

useful

adjective
use·​ful ˈyüs-fəl How to pronounce useful (audio)
1
: capable of being put to use : usable
useful scraps of material
2
: having practical value
a useful invention
usefully
-fə-lē How to pronounce useful (audio)
adverb
usefulness noun
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