The degree to which something helps achieve a purpose or meet a need.
Reach for it when Evaluating practical value rather than novelty, beauty, or prestige alone.
Farmers judged the alert system's usefulness during the first hard frost.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional |
|
| formal |
everyday
Fits when a positive effect is being identified
Not when may arise without serving an intended purpose
everyday
Fits when overall benefit matters in plain language
Not when includes emotional or financial worth beyond use
warm
Fits when assistance to a person deserves a human tone
Not when less natural for equipment or technical systems
professional
Fits when fitness for real-world conditions is central
Not when does not measure how much help is delivered
formal
applicability
Fits when knowledge or a method fits the case
Not when narrower than general usefulness
formal
Fits when practical function is the abstract concern
Not when can also mean a public service or software tool
practical usefulness
Field testing demonstrated the guide's practical usefulness.
prove its usefulness
The spare pump proved its usefulness during the spring flood.
limited usefulness
Without offline access, the map has limited usefulness in the valley.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Steve Shives, Mid-Atlantic US accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated
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