An utilitarian

USAGE SUMMARY

"An utilitarian" is not a correct and usable phrase in written English.
The correct usage is "A utilitarian" or "utilitarian." For example, "John is a utilitarian, always seeking the most efficient way of getting things done."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Fashion

Health

Law

Film

Ethics

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

"When you say fan, people think of an outmoded item or an utilitarian article made of disposable materials," he said during an interview.

The New York Times

This study has provided some preliminary evidence pointing towards beneficial outcomes also for compulsory treatment, which would be useful in an ethical debate with an utilitarian perspective.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

In the majority opinion, Justice Thomas relied heavily on Mazer v. Stein, 347 U.S. 201 (1954) hosted by supreme.justia.com, where the Court decided an electric lamp's statuettes base was copyrightable, despite being an utilitarian mass-produced item.

Harvard University

"The judges concluded that the helmet could not be regarded as an artistic work because it was a mass produced item - remember how many stormtroopers there were? - and has an utilitarian role," said leading intellectual property lawyer Simon Bennett of Fox Williams LLP.

The Guardian - Film

However, once we assume that we do not live in such an ideal world populated only with enlightened utilitarians, we may want to keep our complex moral rules secret in order to avoid counterproductive consequences from an utilitarian perspective.

SEP

His acquaintance Charles Dickens protested, "In an utilitarian age, of all other times, it is a matter of grave importance that fairy tales should be respected".

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Just to mention one quite obvious example: An ethical deliberation on a utilitarian basis will usually need other empirical information than an argumentation which is based on a Kantian view of morality.

BMC Medical Ethics

An alternative utilitarian response to the claim that utilitarianism conflicts with certain ordinary moral judgments is to dismiss these judgments as pre-theoretical "intuitions" that probably result from cultural indoctrination and thus reflect superstition, bias, and mere historical accident.

SEP

An act utilitarian, for example, has no more use for that concept than for "respect," "rights," or "inviolability".

SEP

An increasingly utilitarian body of research suggests that we have some control over the rate at which we age.

Huffington Post

An auto mechanic's shop, housed in a utilitarian two-story shed, occupies the site.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the concept of being utilitarian, ensure you use the correct article "a" before the word if it modifies a noun (e.g., "a utilitarian approach"). Otherwise, use "utilitarian" directly (e.g., "utilitarian principles").

Common error

Avoid using "an" before "utilitarian". Since "utilitarian" begins with a 'yoo' sound, which is a consonant sound, the correct article is "a", not "an".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an utilitarian", while grammatically incorrect, attempts to function as an adjective modifying a noun or describing a characteristic. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, the correct form would be either "a utilitarian" or simply "utilitarian" without the article, depending on the context.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "an utilitarian" is grammatically incorrect. The correct usage is either "a utilitarian" when modifying a noun with a focus on utility or simply "utilitarian" when referring to the concept itself. As indicated by Ludwig AI, using "an" before "utilitarian" is a common mistake, stemming from a misunderstanding of pronunciation rules. While the term appears in various contexts, including news, science, and academia, it's crucial to use the correct article to maintain grammatical accuracy. Remember to use "a" before "utilitarian" because it starts with a consonant sound.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

A utilitarian approach

Corrects the grammatical error by using the correct article "a" before "utilitarian".

Utilitarian perspective

Removes the article entirely, focusing directly on the utilitarian viewpoint.

Utilitarian philosophy

Refers directly to the ethical theory, avoiding the need for an article.

A pragmatic solution

Replaces "utilitarian" with "pragmatic", emphasizing practicality and effectiveness.

A functional design

Substitutes "utilitarian" with "functional", highlighting the design's purpose and usability.

A practical method

Replaces "utilitarian" with "practical", underscoring the method's suitability for real-world applications.

A useful tool

Replaces "utilitarian" with "useful", emphasizing the tool's helpfulness and effectiveness.

An efficient system

Uses "efficient" to convey the aspect of maximizing output with minimal waste, inherent in a utilitarian approach, still there is grammatical mistake with the article.

A beneficial outcome

Focuses on the positive result of a utilitarian action or decision.

A valuable asset

Highlights the worth and utility of something.

FAQs

How to use "utilitarian" correctly in a sentence?

Use "a utilitarian" before nouns when describing something characterized by utility, such as "a utilitarian design". Use "utilitarian" alone when referring to the concept itself, as in "utilitarian ethics".

What's the difference between "a utilitarian" and "utilitarian"?

"A utilitarian" is used as an adjective describing a noun (e.g., "a utilitarian object"), while "utilitarian" can be used as an adjective without an article before a noun (e.g. utilitarian principles), or to refer to the philosophy of utilitarianism.

Which is correct, "an utilitarian approach" or "a utilitarian approach"?

"A utilitarian approach" is correct. The word "utilitarian" begins with a consonant sound, so the indefinite article "a" is used, not "an".

What can I say instead of "a utilitarian"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "a practical", "a functional", or "a pragmatic".