inutile
See also: innutile
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle French inutile, from Middle French, from Latin inutilis. See in- (“not”), utile.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
inutile (comparative more inutile, superlative most inutile)
- (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 edit
Etymology edit
Learned borrowing from Latin inūtilis (“useless”).
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
inutile (plural inutiles)
- useless, unnecessary, pointless
- Synonyms: superfétatoire, superflu, vain
- Antonyms: utile, nécessaire, indispensable
Usage notes edit
- Not to be confused with inutilisable (“unusable”).
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
- “inutile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Italian edit
Etymology edit
From Latin inūtilis, from in- + ūtilis.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
inutile (plural inutili)
- useless, unnecessary, needless
- ineffective
- Synonym: ineffettivo
Antonyms edit
Related terms edit
Latin edit
Pronunciation edit
- (Classical) IPA(key): /iˈnuː.ti.le/, [ɪˈnuːt̪ɪɫ̪ɛ]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /iˈnu.ti.le/, [iˈnuːt̪ile]
Adjective edit
inūtile
Middle French edit
Adjective edit
inutile m or f (plural inutiles)