1. the quality of being useful, practical, or beneficial
有用、實用或有益的性質
The utility of this tool lies in its versatility.
這項工具的實用性在於它的多功能性。
We need to assess the utility of the new software before purchasing it.
我們需要在購買前評估新軟體的實用性。
Utility Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
utility
noun
快速理解
What does "Utility" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Utility"?
指某物的實用性、有用性，或指提供基本公共服務的公司或系統。
- 1
實用性
EN: The quality of being useful, practical, or beneficial.
翻譯: 指某物有用、實用或有益的特性。
- 2
公用事業
EN: A company or system that provides essential public services, such as electricity, water, or gas.
翻譯: 指提供電力、水、瓦斯等基本公共服務的公司或系統。
- 3
多功能工具
EN: A useful feature or tool, especially one that serves multiple purposes.
翻譯: 指有用的功能或工具，尤指具多種用途的。
- 4
經濟效用
EN: In economics, the satisfaction or benefit derived from consuming goods and services.
翻譯: 在經濟學中，指從消費商品和服務中獲得的滿足感或利益。
小提醒：注意 'utility' 作為形容詞時，意思是『實用的、多用途的』，例如 'utility knife'（多功能刀），這與名詞的『實用性』意思相關但詞性不同。
發音（How to Pronounce "Utility" in English）
How to pronounce "Utility" in English?"Utility" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Utility" from YouTube Videos
Elon Musk On How To Be Most Useful
Y Combinator
“whatever the thing is that you're trying to create, what would, what would be the um utility Delta compared to the current State ofthe art times?”
(1 out of 13)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Utility"?How does "Utility" change by context?
2. a public service such as electricity, gas, or water
電力、瓦斯或水等公共事業
The monthly bill includes charges for all utilities.
每月的帳單包含了所有公共事業的費用。
After the storm, many homes were without basic utilities for days.
暴風雨過後，許多家庭的基本公共事業中斷了數天。
3. a computer program designed for a specific, often basic, task
為特定、通常是基本的任務設計的電腦程式
This disk cleanup utility helps free up storage space.
這個磁碟清理工具程式有助於釋放儲存空間。
He downloaded a free utility to manage his system files.
他下載了一個免費的工具程式來管理系統檔案。
4. in economics, the satisfaction or benefit derived from consuming a good or service
經濟學中，消費商品或服務所獲得的滿足感或利益
Economists measure the utility a consumer gets from a product.
經濟學家衡量消費者從產品中獲得的效用。
The concept of marginal utility is fundamental in microeconomics.
邊際效用的概念在個體經濟學中是基礎。
5. a player on a sports team who can play in several different positions
運動隊伍中能擔任數個不同位置的球員
His value to the team is as a utility player who can fill any gap.
他對球隊的價值在於是一名能填補任何空缺的萬用球員。
The coach appreciates having a utility infielder on the roster.
教練很慶幸名單上有一名內野工具人。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Utility"?How to make natural sentences with "Utility"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| utility + noun | 公用事業 + 名詞 | The government regulates the utility company. (政府監管這家公用事業公司。) |
| the utility of + noun/gerund | ...的效用 | He questioned the utility of the new policy. (他質疑這項新政策的效用。) |
| of great/little/no utility | 有很大/幾乎沒有/沒有用處的 | This old tool is of little utility now. (這個舊工具現在幾乎沒什麼用處了。) |
| have utility | 具有實用性 | This multi-purpose gadget has great utility in the kitchen. (這個多功能小工具在廚房裡非常實用。) |
| public utility | 公共事業 | Water supply is considered a vital public utility. (供水被視為至關重要的公共事業。) |
用法說明
How is "Utility" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Utility"?
utility 與 usefulness 的區別
- utility 通常指具體、客觀的「實用性」或「功用」，強調某物的功能或服務能滿足實際需求，是較為正式和技術性的詞彙。
- usefulness 則更廣泛地指「有用性」，可以涵蓋抽象概念、建議或人的價值，語氣較為通用和主觀。
- 在經濟學或哲學領域，utility 有特定術語含義（如「效用」），而 usefulness 則無此專業用法。
- 描述工具、軟體或系統時，utility 更強調其設計帶來的效率和便利；usefulness 則更側重其帶來的整體幫助。 EN: The utility of this multi-tool lies in its compact design and multiple functions. 翻譯: 這款多功能工具的實用性在於其緊湊的設計和眾多功能。
EN:The usefulness of his advice became apparent only after we followed it.
翻譯:他的建議的有用性，在我們採納之後才變得明顯。
EN:Economists measure the utility a consumer derives from a product.
翻譯:經濟學家衡量消費者從產品中獲得的效用。
EN:I doubt the usefulness of this old map for our modern city tour.
翻譯:我懷疑這張舊地圖對我們現代城市觀光的有用性。
總結建議
描述具體功能或專業領域的「效用」時用 utility，表達一般性的「有用」時則用 usefulness 更為自然。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Utility" and similar words?How to choose "Utility" vs alternatives?
utility vs usefulness
「utility」強調物品或服務的實際功能與效益，常為經濟學或商業術語；「usefulness」則泛指一般性的有用程度，適用於日常情境。
utility vs functionality
「utility」側重物品帶來的效益與實用價值；「functionality」則強調系統或設備的具體功能與運作能力。
utility vs efficiency
「utility」衡量物品帶來的滿足感或效益；「efficiency」則評估資源使用與產出的比率，強調效能與節省。
口語用法
How is "Utility" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Utility"?
引述
在對話中，當引述或轉述他人對某事物「有用性」或「實用性」的評價時，常用 "utility"。 EN: He kept talking about the car's utility, but I just liked how it looked. 翻譯: 他一直在講那輛車的實用性，但我只是喜歡它的外觀。
EN:The main point of her review was the product's utility in daily life.
翻譯:她評論的重點是這產品在日常生活中的實用性。
語氣強調
在口語中，有時會用 "utility" 來強調某物超越其基本功能、具有廣泛或多方面的用途，帶有正面評價的語氣。 EN: Don't just get a fancy knife; think about its actual utility in the kitchen. 翻譯: 別只買一把花俏的刀，想想它在廚房裡的實際用途。
EN:The real utility of this app is that it combines five tools in one.
翻譯:這個應用程式的真正實用之處在於它把五種工具合而為一。
停頓填充
在較為隨意或思考性的對話中，說話者可能會用 "utility" 作為一個略為正式的填充詞，來引出對某物價值的判斷或比較。 EN: In terms of... utility, I'd say the older model is more reliable. 翻譯: 就…實用性而言，我會說舊型號更可靠。
EN:Well, the utility of it is... you can use it anywhere, even offline.
翻譯:嗯，它的實用之處在於…你可以在任何地方使用它，甚至離線也行。
正式寫作注意：在非常正式或學術的寫作中（如哲學、經濟學、工程學），"utility" 是一個具有嚴格定義的專業術語（如「效用」、「公用事業」）。口語中的用法通常較為寬鬆，指一般的「有用性」。在正式寫作時，需確保其用法符合該領域的特定定義與語境。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Utility"?What fixed phrases with "Utility" should I remember?
utility company
noun + noun
公用事業公司
public utility
adjective + noun
公共事業
utility bill
noun + noun
公用事業帳單
utility room
noun + noun
雜物間；家務間
marginal utility
adjective + noun
邊際效用
utility player
noun + noun
多功能球員；工具人球員
of no utility
preposition + determiner + noun
沒有用處的
gain utility
verb + noun
獲得效用
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Utility"?Which "Utility" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The government provides many utilities for the citizens.
✓The government provides many public utilities for the citizens.
當指水、電、瓦斯等公共服務時，應使用複合名詞 "public utilities" 或 "utility services"。單獨使用 "utilities" 在此語境下不夠精確，可能被理解為泛指各種用途或實用性。
×The utility of this app is very high; it can calculate, remind, and play music.
✓The utility of this app is very high; it is extremely useful for organization. OR This app has multiple utilities; it can calculate, remind, and play music.
"Utility" 作為不可數名詞時，指抽象「效用」或「實用性」。若要指具體「功能」或「用途」，應使用可數名詞形式 "a utility" 或 "utilities"。混淆兩者會導致語意不清。
×I found a great utility for this old box—it can be a cat bed.
✓I found a great use for this old box—it can be a cat bed.
在口語中，指某物具體、臨時的「用途」時，通常使用 "use" 而非 "utility"。"Utility" 較為正式，常指系統性、工具性或經濟上的效用。
×This is a utility room, it's very utility.
✓This is a utility room, it's very practical/useful.
"Utility" 作為形容詞時，主要用於修飾名詞（如 utility room, utility vehicle），表示「實用的、多功能的」。它不用作敘述形容詞（放在 be 動詞後）。應改用 "practical" 或 "useful"。
×The utility rate of the new machine is over 90%.
✓The utilization rate of the new machine is over 90%.
"Utility" 指事物本身的「效用」或「有用性」，而 "utilization" 指「使用率」或「利用程度」。在商業或工程語境中，表達設備或資源的使用比例，應使用 "utilization (rate)"。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Utility"?What are tense/participle forms of "Utility"?