had utility

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had utility" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing the usefulness or practical application of something in the past. An example is: "The tool had utility in various construction projects." Alternative expressions include "was useful," "proved beneficial," and "had value."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

"That system had utility for a time," Mr. Bhagsen said.

The New York Times

The concept had utility, but Page decided not to push forward.

TechCrunch

The results of this survey confirmed the psychometric properties of the BSSS and showed that it had utility in predicting holiday preferences.

Personality and Individual Differences

In these ways our study confirmed that the indicators could be regarded as a guide to improve quality, were fit for purpose and had utility.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

This payback was less in experiment A because of the greater door opening frequency to execute service tasks inside the chamber (air curtain device had utility just in such moments), enabling a faster compensation of the applied investment.

International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering

For the most recent extension of that rate, signed into law by President George W. Bush last month, the group organized an e-mail campaign that had utility shareholders send 40,000 e-mail messages to lawmakers.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

The statistical significance of our findings may have changed had utilities been elicited in another manner.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

He has utility.

The Guardian - Opinion

We have utility taxes on top of the property.

The New York Times

"A lot of teams have utility players, but they don't have a true utility player.

The New York Times - Sports

"I want to be a utility pitcher, just like we have utility players," Gooden said.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer this phrase in formal reports or academic papers where 'was useful' might feel too colloquial or imprecise.

Common error

Do not use "had utility" when you actually mean 'had utilities' (plural) in the context of infrastructure or billing. While 'utility' means usefulness, 'utilities' often refers to electricity, water and gas services. For example, 'the house had utility' means the house was useful, not that the lights worked.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had utility" serves as a past-tense verbal construction where the verb 'had' indicates possession or state, and the noun 'utility' denotes the quality of being useful or functional. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it often acts as the main predicate to evaluate the efficacy of research methods, clinical markers or historical systems.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

65%

News & Media

25%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Social Media

2%

Wiki

5%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had utility" is a robust and sophisticated way to describe the usefulness of something in the past. According to Ludwig AI, it is particularly prevalent in scientific and academic discourse, where authors need to describe the effectiveness of models, biomarkers or methodologies. While it is synonymous with "was useful", it carries a more clinical or economic connotation. It is almost always found in formal contexts, such as articles from The New York Times or ScienceDirect, and is considered a high-quality expression for professional writing. When using it, ensure that you are referring to functional value rather than just general positivity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was useful

More common and less formal alternative for general contexts.

demonstrated utility

More academic, implying that the usefulness was shown through evidence or testing.

proved beneficial

Emphasizes the positive outcome or results observed over time.

served a purpose

Focuses on the functional role the object or idea fulfilled.

found application

Often used in technical or scientific contexts to denote where something was used.

offered practical use

Highlights the hands-on or applied value of something.

was effective

Focuses on the ability to produce a desired result.

held value

Suggests worth in a broader sense, not just functional application.

possessed functionality

Stresses the technical capabilities or features available.

had merit

Implies the subject was worthy of consideration or praise.

FAQs

How do I use "had utility" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe past effectiveness, for example: "The previous software version "had utility" for basic tasks but lacked advanced features."

What can I say instead of "had utility"?

Depending on your context, you can use phrases like "was useful", "proved beneficial" or "demonstrated utility".

Is "had utility" too formal for a casual email?

Yes, it is quite formal. In a casual setting, it is better to use "came in handy" or simply "was helpful".

What is the difference between "had utility" and "was useful"?

While both mean the same thing, "had utility" sounds more technical or analytical, often referring to a specific measurable value in economics or science, whereas "was useful" is a general description.