Meaning & use

useful

adjective·Everyday

Able to be used effectively for a practical purpose or to achieve a particular result.

See it in a sentence

A good flashlight is useful during power outages and camping trips alike.

The librarian gave us several useful tips for narrowing down our research topic.

A note on using this word

Useful describes practical value; 'valuable' can also imply worth in money or importance, which useful does not.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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