Utility vs. Tool — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 31, 2023
Utility refers to the usefulness or public service, while a tool is an instrument used to carry out a specific function or task.
Difference Between Utility and Tool
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Utility, in its broadest sense, refers to the state of being useful or beneficial, often relating to services provided for public consumption like electricity, water, and transportation. A tool, by comparison, is an object or device designed to perform a specific function, usually in tasks requiring manual or mechanical work. While a utility provides a service, a tool is an item that is used to achieve an outcome.
In terms of software, a utility is a program designed to help manage and tune the computer system, streamlining and maintaining operations. A tool, in this context, could be a software application that enables the user to perform tasks such as editing a document, creating graphics, or coding software. Therefore, while all utilities are tools in this digital context, not all tools are utilities.
Utility can also imply a broader concept of functionality and usefulness across a range of situations or purposes, including economics where it represents a measure of satisfaction or value. Tools, alternatively, are typically physical items such as hammers, wrenches, or software programs designed for particular tasks, and their usefulness is often gauged by their effectiveness in those specific tasks.
When considering utility vehicles, the term suggests vehicles that are designed for usefulness and versatility, often with the capacity for transporting goods or people. In contrast, a tool vehicle would imply a vehicle that is equipped with specific tools or equipment for tasks such as repair, construction, or maintenance, focusing on the vehicle's task-specific equipment.
Utilities are essential for daily life and infrastructure, encompassing the services and systems necessary for the economy to function, like power grids and sewage systems. Tools are indispensable in the execution of construction, maintenance, and production, where the physical manipulation of materials or data is required to accomplish an objective.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Services or benefits provided for use.
Instruments used for specific tasks.
Context
Often public services or software programs.
Manual, mechanical, or digital devices or applications.
Function
Broad functionality or public service.
Specific function in task completion.
Example
Electricity supply is a utility.
A hammer is a tool.
Usage in Software
System maintenance or streamlining programs.
Applications for creating or modifying content.
Compare with Definitions
Utility
Within economics, the concept of utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time.
Tool
Implement for work
She selected the right tool for the job.
Utility
The quality or condition of being useful; usefulness
"I have always doubted the utility of these conferences on disarmament" (Winston S. Churchill).
Tool
Means to an end
He regarded his smartphone as an essential tool for his business.
Utility
A useful article or device.
Tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates back hundreds of millennia, have been observed using tools to make other tools.
Utility
A public utility.
Tool
A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function
Gardening tools
Utility
A commodity or service, such as electricity, water, or public transportation, that is provided by a public utility.
Tool
A distinct design in the tooling of a book.
Utility
(Computers) A utility program.
Tool
A man's penis.
Utility
(Economics) The benefit that a chosen course of action affords, as subjectively judged by the chooser.
Tool
Impress a design on (leather, especially a leather book cover)
Volumes bound in green leather and tooled in gold
Utility
Prepared to play any of the smaller theatrical roles on short notice
A utility cast member.
Tool
Equip or be equipped with tools for industrial production
The factory must be tooled to produce the models
They were tooling up for production
Utility
Capable of playing as a substitute in any of several positions
A utility infielder.
Tool
Drive or ride in a casual or leisurely manner
Tooling around town in a pink Rolls-Royce
Utility
Designed for various often heavy-duty practical uses
A utility knife.
A utility vehicle.
Tool
Dress (stone) with a chisel.
Utility
Raised or kept for the production of a farm product rather than for show or as pets
Utility livestock.
Tool
A device, such as a saw, shovel, or drill, used to perform or facilitate manual or mechanical work.
Utility
Of the lowest US Government grade
Utility beef.
Tool
A machine, such as a lathe, used to cut and shape machine parts or other objects.
Utility
The state or condition of being useful; usefulness.
Tool
The cutting part of such a machine.
Utility
Something that is useful.
Tool
Something regarded as necessary to the carrying out of one's occupation or profession
Words are the tools of our trade.
Utility
(economics) The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity.
Tool
Something used in the performance of an operation; an instrument
"Modern democracies have the fiscal and monetary tools ... to end chronic slumps and galloping inflations" (Paul A. Samuelson).
Utility
(philosophy) Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness.
Tool
Vulgar Slang The penis.
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.
Tool
A person used to carry out the designs of another; a dupe.
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.
Tool
A bookbinder's hand stamp.
Utility
(sports) The ability to play multiple positions.
Tool
A design impressed on a book cover by such a stamp.
Utility
Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider.
Utility line; utility bill
Tool
(Computers) A utility program.
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
Tool
To form, work, or decorate with a tool.
Utility
Functional rather than attractive.
Tool
To ornament (a book cover) with a bookbinder's tool.
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.
Tool
(Slang) To drive (a vehicle)
Tooled the car at 80 miles an hour.
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.
Tool
To work with a tool.
Utility
Happiness; the greatest good, or happiness, of the greatest number, - the foundation of utilitarianism.
Tool
(Slang) To drive or ride in a vehicle
Tooled up and down the roads.
Utility
A company that performs a public service; subject to government regulation
Tool
A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
Hand me that tool, would you?
I don't have the right tools to start fiddling around with the engine.
Utility
The quality of being of practical use
Tool
Any piece of equipment used in a profession, e.g. a craftman's tools.
Utility
The service provided by a utility company;
The cost of utilities never decreases
Tool
Something to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.
Utility
(economics) a measure that is to be maximized in any situation involving choice
Tool
(computing) A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.
The software engineer had been developing lots of EDA tools.
A tool for recovering deleted files from a disk
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
Tool
A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group.
He was a tool, no more than a pawn to her.
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
Tool
An obnoxious or uptight person.
He won't sell us tickets because it's 3:01, and they went off sale at 3. That guy's such a tool.
Utility
Used of beef; usable but inferior
Tool
A penis, notably with a sexual or erotic connotation.
Utility
Capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team;
A utility infielder
Tool
A gun.
Utility
Public service
The city's utility department manages water supply.
Tool
(transitive) To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather.
Utility
Functionality
The utility of the app made it popular among users.
Tool
(transitive) To equip with tools.
Utility
Software program
He installed a utility to clean up his computer.
Tool
(intransitive) To work very hard.
Utility
Economic concept
They measured the utility of the product through customer satisfaction.
Tool
To put down another person (possibly in a subtle, hidden way), and in that way to use him or her to meet a goal.
Dude, he's not your friend. He's just tooling you.
Utility
General usefulness
The multi-tool's utility was proven in the wilderness.
Tool
To intentionally attack the ball so that it deflects off a blocker out of bounds.
Tool
To drive (a coach or other vehicle).
Tool
To carry or convey in a coach or other vehicle.
Tool
To travel in a vehicle; to ride or drive.
Tool
An instrument such as a hammer, saw, plane, file, and the like, used in the manual arts, to facilitate mechanical operations; any instrument used by a craftsman or laborer at his work; an implement; as, the tools of a joiner, smith, shoe-maker, etc.; also, a cutter, chisel, or other part of an instrument or machine that dresses work.
Tool
A machine for cutting or shaping materials; - also called machine tool.
Tool
Hence, any instrument of use or service.
That angry fool . . . Whipping her horse, did with his smarting toolOft whip her dainty self.
Tool
A weapon.
Him that is aghast of every tool.
Tool
A person used as an instrument by another person; - a word of reproach; as, men of intrigue have their tools, by whose agency they accomplish their purposes.
I was not made for a minion or a tool.
Tool
To shape, form, or finish with a tool.
Tool
To drive, as a coach.
Tool
To travel in a vehicle; to ride or drive.
Boys on their bicycles tooling along the well-kept roads.
Tool
An implement used in the practice of a vocation
Tool
The means whereby some act is accomplished;
My greed was the instrument of my destruction
Science has given us new tools to fight disease
Tool
A person who is controlled by others and is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else
Tool
Obscene terms for penis
Tool
Drive;
The convertible tooled down the street
Tool
Ride in a car with no particular goal and just for the pleasure of it;
We tooled down the street
Tool
Furnish with tools
Tool
Work with a tool
Tool
Software application
The graphic design tool was intuitive and powerful.
Tool
Instrument of manipulation
The jeweler used a delicate tool to set the gemstone.
Tool
Device for precision
The carpenter’s measuring tool was crucial for accuracy.
Common Curiosities
What makes a software program a utility?
Software designed to manage, maintain, or enhance the performance of a system is called a utility.
Can a tool be considered a utility?
Yes, in software terms, a utility is a type of tool, but in general use, a tool is not a utility.
Are tools only used for physical tasks?
No, tools can be physical devices for manual tasks or software for digital tasks.
Can a utility be something physical?
Typically, utilities are intangible services, but the term can sometimes refer to physical objects broadly useful in many contexts.
Are utilities always public services?
Utilities often refer to essential public services like water or electricity, but can also mean any service or feature that provides benefit.
Is a smartphone a tool or a utility?
A smartphone is considered a tool, but the services it accesses, like communication, can be considered utilities.
Can tools have multiple functions?
Yes, tools like Swiss Army knives are designed with multiple functions in mind.
Are utility vehicles the same as tools?
Utility vehicles are designed for general usefulness, while vehicles with tools are for specific tasks.
How do you determine the utility of a product?
The utility of a product is determined by its usefulness and the satisfaction it provides to the user.
Is a kitchen appliance a utility or a tool?
A kitchen appliance is considered a tool designed for specific culinary tasks.
Are all utilities provided by the government?
No, while many are government-regulated, utilities can also be provided by private companies.
Can the term 'tool' refer to a person?
Colloquially, 'tool' can refer to a person who is being used by others, often without realizing it.
How do you measure the effectiveness of a tool?
The effectiveness of a tool is measured by how well it performs its intended function.
Is internet access a utility?
Yes, internet access is commonly considered a utility due to its essential role in modern communication and information exchange.
Is utility subjective or objective?
Utility can be both; it's objectively measured by functionality and subjectively by personal satisfaction.
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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.
