Utility vs. Facility — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 16, 2023
Utility refers to usefulness or the state of being beneficial, while Facility denotes a space or equipment designed for a particular purpose. Both terms highlight efficiency but in different contexts.
Difference Between Utility and Facility
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Utility and Facility are terms that are often used in the context of providing services or benefits. While Utility emphasizes the state of being useful or the capacity to give satisfaction, Facility generally refers to a place, amenity, or piece of equipment designed for a specific function or purpose.
A Utility can refer to a service that is provided to the public, such as electricity, water, or gas. On the other hand, a Facility can be a building or place that provides a specific service or is used for a particular industry, like a sports facility or medical facility.
The word Utility can also pertain to the quality of being particularly functional or practical in design or usage. A tool, for instance, may have multiple utilities. In contrast, the word Facility often suggests convenience and ease in doing something, thanks to a specific provision or feature of a structure or environment.
Both Utility and Facility aim to cater to needs. However, while a Utility often pertains to basic services or functionalities necessary for daily living, a Facility usually denotes establishments or spaces where specific activities can be carried out with ease.
It's also worth noting that the term Utility can be used in economic contexts, referring to the satisfaction or pleasure derived from consuming a product or service. Facility, in such contexts, remains tied to the idea of a physical or structural provision.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The state of being useful or beneficial
A space or equipment for a specific purpose
Examples
Services like electricity, water, gas
Buildings like schools, hospitals, gyms
Associated Terms
Utility bill, marginal utility
Facility management, sports facility
Context of Use
Often pertains to services or functionalities
Relates to physical structures or environments
Implication
Emphasizes usefulness and satisfaction
Denotes ease, convenience, and specific function or purpose
Compare with Definitions
Utility
The quality or state of being useful.
The multi-tool had a wide range of Utility.
Facility
A place or equipment for a specific activity.
The town built a new sports Facility.
Utility
Efficiency in design or function.
The new kitchen was designed for maximum Utility.
Facility
A structural provision or feature.
The building is equipped with modern Facilities.
Utility
Within economics, the concept of utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time.
Facility
Ease in doing something.
She answered the questions with Facility.
Utility
The quality or condition of being useful; usefulness
"I have always doubted the utility of these conferences on disarmament" (Winston S. Churchill).
Facility
A resource offering a particular service.
The hotel boasts top-notch dining Facilities.
Utility
A useful article or device.
Facility
A place, amenity, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose
Cooking facilities
Facilities for car parking
A manufacturing facility
Utility
A public utility.
Facility
A natural ability to do or learn something well and easily
He had a facility for languages
Utility
A commodity or service, such as electricity, water, or public transportation, that is provided by a public utility.
Facility
Ease in moving, acting, or doing
"a soldier who was expected to be able to fell a tree ... or build a bridge with equal facility" (Bruce I. Gudmundsson).
Utility
(Computers) A utility program.
Facility
An ability or talent; an aptitude
"He was a mediocre student who had a facility for absorbing details without curiosity" (Jhumpa Lahiri).
Utility
(Economics) The benefit that a chosen course of action affords, as subjectively judged by the chooser.
Facility
A building, room, array of equipment, or a number of such things, designed to serve a particular function
Hospitals and other health care facilities.
Utility
Prepared to play any of the smaller theatrical roles on short notice
A utility cast member.
Facility
Something that facilitates an action or process
The region has very poor transportation facilities.
Utility
Capable of playing as a substitute in any of several positions
A utility infielder.
Facility
Facilities(Informal) A restroom or public toilet.
Utility
Designed for various often heavy-duty practical uses
A utility knife.
A utility vehicle.
Facility
The fact of being easy, or easily done; absence of difficulty, simplicity.
Utility
Raised or kept for the production of a farm product rather than for show or as pets
Utility livestock.
Facility
Dexterity of speech or action; skill, talent.
The facility she shows in playing the violin is unrivalled.
Utility
Of the lowest US Government grade
Utility beef.
Facility
The physical means or contrivances to make something (especially a public service) possible; the required equipment, infrastructure, location etc.
Transport facilities in Bangkok are not sufficient to prevent frequent traffic collapses during rush hour.
Utility
The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
Facility
An institution specially designed for a specific purpose, such as incarceration, military use, or scientific experimentation.
Utility
Something that is useful.
Facility
Clip of credit facility
Utility
(economics) The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity.
Facility
A toilet.
Utility
(philosophy) Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness.
Facility
A condition of mental weakness less than idiocy, but enough to make a person easily persuaded to do something against their better interest.
Utility
A natural or legal areal monopoly distributer of a commodity (less often a service) delivered in continuous flows to multiple consumers from a common physical, infrastructural network, such as an electric company or water company; or, the securities of such a provider.
Facility
(dated) Affability.
Utility
(computing) A software program designed to perform a single task or a small range of tasks, often to help manage and tune computer hardware, an operating system or application software.
I've bought a new disk utility that can recover deleted files.
Facility
The quality of being easily performed; freedom from difficulty; ease; as, the facility of an operation.
The facility with which government has been overturned in France.
Utility
(sports) The ability to play multiple positions.
Facility
Ease in performance; readiness proceeding from skill or use; dexterity; as, practice gives a wonderful facility in executing works of art.
Utility
Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider.
Utility line; utility bill
Facility
Easiness to be persuaded; readiness or compliance; - usually in a bad sense; pliancy.
It is a great error to take facility for good nature.
Utility
(Of a building or its components) containing or intended for any of a building’s often-utility-related commodity transport, such as pipes or wires, or converting equipment, such as furnaces, water tanks or heaters, circuit breakers, central air conditioning units, laundry facilities, etc.
Utility room; utility corridor
Facility
Easiness of access; complaisance; affability.
Offers himself to the visits of a friend with facility.
Utility
Functional rather than attractive.
Facility
That which promotes the ease of any action or course of conduct; advantage; aid; assistance; - usually in the plural; as, special facilities for study.
Utility
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.
Facility
A building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry;
The assembly plant is an enormous facility
Utility
Adaptation to satisfy the desires or wants; intrinsic value. See Note under Value, 2.
Value in use is utility, and nothing else, and in political economy should be called by that name and no other.
Facility
Skillful performance or ability without difficulty;
His quick adeptness was a product of good design
He was famous for his facility as an archer
Utility
Happiness; the greatest good, or happiness, of the greatest number, - the foundation of utilitarianism.
Facility
A natural effortlessness;
They conversed with great facility
A happy readiness of conversation
Utility
A company that performs a public service; subject to government regulation
Facility
Services and space and equipment provided for a particular purpose;
Catering facilities
Toilet facilities
Utility
The quality of being of practical use
Facility
A service that an organization or a piece of equipment offers you;
A cell phone with internet facility
Utility
The service provided by a utility company;
The cost of utilities never decreases
Facility
An establishment that provides a service.
The research Facility focused on renewable energy solutions.
Utility
(economics) a measure that is to be maximized in any situation involving choice
Utility
(computer science) a program designed for general support of the processes of a computer;
A computer system provides utility programs to perform the tasks needed by most users
Utility
A facility composed of one or more pieces of equipment connected to or part of a structure and designed to provide a service such as heat or electricity or water or sewage disposal;
The price of the house included all utilities
Utility
Used of beef; usable but inferior
Utility
Capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team;
A utility infielder
Utility
A service provided for public use.
The city's main Utilities include water, gas, and electricity.
Utility
Functional and practical use.
The software offers great Utility for designers.
Utility
Satisfaction or benefit derived from a product or service.
Consumers weigh the Utility of a product before purchasing.
Common Curiosities
Is a Facility always a physical space?
Most often, but it can also refer to ease in performing a task.
Can Utility refer to public services?
Yes, Utility can refer to services provided to the public like electricity or water.
What's an example of a Facility?
A gym, hospital, or school are examples of Facilities.
What might a Utility bill include?
Charges for services like water, gas, and electricity.
How do Utility and Facility differ in context?
Utility often pertains to services or functionalities, while Facility relates to physical structures or environments.
Is a Facility always tied to convenience?
Generally, it denotes ease and specific function or purpose.
How is a Facility commonly defined?
A Facility is usually a space or equipment designed for a particular purpose.
Can a software have Utility?
Yes, if it offers practical and beneficial features.
Are all Facilities public?
No, some Facilities might be private or restricted.
What does Utility typically refer to?
Utility typically refers to usefulness or the state of being beneficial.
Which term is more associated with basic needs?
Utility, especially when referring to basic services.
Can Utility be used in economic terms?
Yes, it can refer to the satisfaction derived from a product or service.
Which term emphasizes satisfaction or pleasure?
Utility, especially in economic contexts.
Can Facility refer to skills or abilities?
Yes, in contexts like "She played the piano with great Facility."
What's a common synonym for Facility?
Amenity or establishment.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
