inutile

See also: innutile

English

Etymology

From Middle French inutile, from Middle French, from Latin inutilis. See in- (“not”), utile.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈjuːtaɪl/

Adjective

inutile (comparative more inutile, superlative most inutile)

1. (obsolete) useless; unprofitable
   • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

     wormwood, and the like, […] dissipate and digest any inutile or excrementitious moisture which lieth in the flesh

   • 1840, John Rogers, Anti-popery: Or, Popery Unreasonable, Unscriptural, and Novel, page 191:

     The undermediators are not required, have nothing properly to do, no peculiar duty to perform; but are an unprofitable or inutile set of beings sitting down and looking at each other through want of other occupation.

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin inūtilis (“useless”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.ny.til/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Homophone: inutiles
• Hyphenation: i‧nu‧tile

Adjective

inutile (plural inutiles)

1. useless, unnecessary, pointless

   Synonyms: superfétatoire, superflu, vain

   Antonyms: utile, nécessaire, indispensable

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with inutilisable (“unusable”).

Derived terms

• inutilement
• inutilité

Further reading

• “inutile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology

From Latin inūtilis, from in- + ūtilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iˈnu.ti.le/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -utile
• Hyphenation: i‧nù‧ti‧le

Adjective

inutile (plural inutili)

1. useless, unnecessary, needless
2. ineffective

   Synonym: ineffettivo

Antonyms

• utile

Related terms

• inutilità
• inutilizzare
• inutilmente

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /iˈnuː.ti.le/, [ɪˈnuːt̪ɪɫ̪ɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /iˈnu.ti.le/, [iˈnuːt̪ile]

Adjective

inūtile

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of inūtilis

Middle French

Adjective

inutile m or f (plural inutiles)

1. useless

Antonyms

• utile

Descendants

• inutile