Word Study
utilitarian
CIDE DICTIONARY
utilitarian, a. [See Utility.].
- Of or pertaining to utility; consisting in utility; /iming at utility as distinguished from beauty, ornament, etc.; sometimes, reproachfully, evincing, or characterized by, a regard for utility of a lower kind, or marked by a sordid spirit; as, utilitarian narrowness; a utilitarian indifference to art. [1913 Webster]
- Of or pertaining to utilitarianism; supporting utilitarianism; as, the utilitarian view of morality; the Utilitarian Society. J. S. Mill. [1913 Webster]
utilitarian, n.
One who holds the doctrine of utilitarianism. [1913 Webster]
"The utilitarians are for merging all the particular virtues into one, and would substitute in their place the greatest usefulness, as the alone principle to which every question respecting the morality of actions should be referred." [1913 Webster]
"But what is a utilitarian? Simply one who prefers the useful to the useless; and who does not?" [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
utilitarian, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 designed to be useful for a purpose rather than attractive; severely practical.
2 of utilitarianism.
--n. an adherent of utilitarianism.
--adj.
1 designed to be useful for a purpose rather than attractive; severely practical.
2 of utilitarianism.
--n. an adherent of utilitarianism.
THESAURUS
utilitarian
Cyrenaic, Eleatic, Epicurean, Megarian, Stoic, advantageous, animist, animistic, appropriate, atomistic, banausic, beneficial, breadwinning, businesslike, commercial, commodious, cosmotheistic, down-to-earth, eclectic, empirical, employable, eudaemonistic, existential, expedient, fitting, functional, good for, hard, hedonic, hedonist, hedonistic, helpful, humanist, humanistic, idealistic, instrumentalist, materialistic, matter-of-fact, mechanistic, metaphysical, moneymaking, monistic, naturalistic, nominalist, of general utility, of help, of service, of use, panlogistical, pantheistic, positivist, positivistic, practical, pragmatic, pragmatical, pragmatist, proper, prosaic, rationalistic, realist, realistic, scholastic, sensationalistic, serviceable, syncretistic, theistic, transcendentalist, transcendentalistic, unidealistic, unromantic, useful, vitalistic, voluntarist, voluntaristic, workaday, workday, workingROGET THESAURUS
utilitarian
Philanthropy
N philanthropy, humanity, humanitarianism universal benevolence, endaemonism, deliciae humani generis, cosmopolitanism utilitarianism, the greatest happiness of the greatest number, social science, sociology common weal, socialism, communism, Fourierism, phalansterianism, Saint Simonianism, patriotism, civism, nationality, love of country, amor patriae, public spirit, chivalry, knight errantry, generosity, philanthropist, endaemonist, utilitarian, Benthamite, socialist, communist, cosmopolite, citizen of the world, amicus humani generis, knight errant, patriot, philanthropic, humanitarian, utilitarian, cosmopolitan, public- spirited, patriotic, humane, large-hearted, chivalric, generous, pro bono publico, pro aris et focis, humani nihil a me alienum puto, omne solum forti patria, un bien fait n'est jamais perdu, philanthropy, humanity, humanitarianism universal benevolence, endaemonism, deliciae humani generis, cosmopolitanism utilitarianism, the greatest happiness of the greatest number, social science, sociology common weal, socialism, communism, Fourierism, phalansterianism, Saint Simonianism, patriotism, civism, nationality, love of country, amor patriae, public spirit, chivalry, knight errantry, generosity, philanthropist, endaemonist, utilitarian, Benthamite, socialist, communist, cosmopolite, citizen of the world, amicus humani generis, knight errant, patriot, philanthropic, humanitarian, utilitarian, cosmopolitan, public- spirited, patriotic, humane, large-hearted, chivalric, generous, pro bono publico, pro aris et focis, humani nihil a me alienum puto, omne solum forti patria, un bien fait n'est jamais perdu.For further exploring for "utilitarian" in Webster Dictionary Online