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utility

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noun British English pronunciation: utility /juːˈtɪləti/ 
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singularutility
pluralutilities
  1. 1
    [countable] [usually plural] a public service such as gas, water, or electricity that is used by everyone

    utility companies

    public/privatized utilities:

    the regulation of privatized utilities

  2. 2
    [uncountable] formal the state of being useful

    Tests have proved the utility of this material.

  3. 3
    [countable] computing a utility program

    a data-compression utility

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a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

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