futility

noun

fu·​til·​i·​ty fyü-ˈti-lə-tē How to pronounce futility (audio)
plural futilities
1
: the quality or state of being futile : uselessness
His speech focused on the futility of violence.
2
: a useless act or gesture
the futilities of debate for its own sakeW. A. White

Examples of futility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Salesian ended a decade-long run of Open Division futility by playing the game like only Richmond school could. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 After 15 years of futility, unable to reach through the cloud that enveloped him and let down by a mental health system that could do no better, his brothers and sisters shared their experiences with The Times, knowing so many others were going through the same recurring nightmare. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Reid’s lively narrative is based in large part on diaries, memoirs, and letters home written by Western soldiers, many of whom realized the futility of Western interference long before policymakers did. Anna Reid, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals will end years of futility and become Central Division contenders. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Though no one knew it at the time, Rote’s performance would stand as the pinnacle of his seventeen-year career, much as this day would stand as the last hurrah for the Detroit Lions, who were about to embark on six and half decades of unrelenting futility. Bill Morris, Detroit Free Press, 28 Jan. 2024 An offense that slumbered through the first half woke up at the right time Maryland’s first half was another exercise in offensive futility. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2024 Other physicians emphasized the current inadequacies in American mental-health care as a reason any futility judgment would be ethically tenuous. Katie Engelhart, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2024 And still, those statistics don’t fully capture the futility of the defense, which had been in a tailspin since late last season. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'futility.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French and Latin; French futilité, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin fūtilitāt-, fūtilitās (also futtilitāt-, futtilitās) "unprofitableness, uselessness," from fūtilis, futtilis "brittle, fragile (of containers), serving no purpose, pointless" + -itāt- -itās -ity — more at futile

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of futility was circa 1623

Dictionary Entries Near futility

Cite this Entry

“Futility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/futility. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

futility

noun
fu·​til·​i·​ty ˌfyu̇-ˈtil-ət-ē How to pronounce futility (audio)
plural futilities
1
: the quality or state of being futile
2
: a useless act
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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