Search the Dictionary

The quality or state of being useful; utility; serviceableness; advantage. Addison.

den-Powell, to promote good citizenship by creating in them a spirit of civic duty and of usefulness to others, by stimulating their interest in wholesome mental, moral, industrial, and physical activities, etc. Hence, a member of any of the other similar organizations, which are now worldwide. In "The Boy Scouts of Am…

on commanding the extremity of a bridge nearest the enemy, to insure the preservation and usefulness of the bridge, and prevent the enemy from crossing; a tête-de-pont.

troubles; as: (a) Relief from labor or effort; rest; quiet; relaxation; as, ease of body. Usefulness comes by labor, wit by ease. Herbert. Give yourself ease from the fatigue of watching. Swift.

To utilize; to make available; to get the value or usefulness out of; as, to exploit a mine or agricultural lands; to exploit public opinion. [Recent]

To enlarge; to widen; to carry out further; as, to extend the capacities, the sphere of usefulness, or commerce; to extend power or influence; to continue, as time; to lengthen; to prolong; as, to extend the time of payment or a season of trail.

To impar the value, usefulness, beauty, or pleasure of; to damage; to injure; to harm. Virtue may be assailed, but never hurt. Milton.

Usefulness or agency, as means to an end; instrumentality. [R.] Hammond.

Worn out; weakened or exhausted by use; past usefulness; as, old shoes; old clothes.

of or away from; to grow too large, or too aged, for; as, to outgrow clothing; to outgrow usefulness; to outgrow an infirmity.

t wheel (Hydraul.), a noria. -- To go to pot, to go to destruction; to come to an end of usefulness; to become refuse. [Colloq.] Dryden. J. G. Saxe.

sons associated for any temporary or permanent object; an association for mutual or joint usefulness, pleasure, or profit; a social union; a partnership; as, a missionary society.

Yielding of service; advantage derived; capability of being used; usefulness; utility. God made two great lights, great for their use To man. Milton. 'T is use alone that sanctifies expense. Pope.

ing all the particular virtues into one, and would substitute in their place the greatest usefulness, as the alone principle to which every question respecting the morality of actions should be referred. Chalmers. But what is a utilitarian Simply one who prefers the useful to the useless; and who does not Sir W. Hamilt…

is the sole standard of morality, so that the rectitude of an action is determined by its usefulness.

The quality or state of being useful; usefulness; production of good; profitableness to some valuable end; as, the utility of manure upon land; the utility of the sciences; the utility of medicines. The utility of the enterprises was, however, so great and obvious that all opposition proved useless. Macaulay.…

e in respect of moral or personal qualities; excellence; virtue; eminence; desert; merit; usefulness; as, a man or magistrate of great worth. To be of worth, and worthy estimation. Shak. As none but she, who in that court did dwell, Could know such worth, or worth describe so well. Waller. To think how modest worth neg…