futility

/fjuːˈtɪləti/fyoo-TIH-luh-tee

UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked

/fjuˈtɪləti/fyoo-TIH-luh-tee

Meaningthe quality of being futile

Common meaning: pointlessness

Tap a word part to explore

futilpouring out or vainSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 224 · scan
itynoun ending: being so, the quality of

Journey through time

Proto-Indo-European*ghu-‘pour’source
Latinfutilis‘pouring out or vain’source
Old Frenchfutile‘light, vain’source
Englishfutile‘incapable of producing a useful result’
Englishformed in English from futilefutility‘pointlessness’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from futile + -ity.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), FUTILE, p.224 · scan

Source words

futilis Latin · source word “pouring out or vain”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app