utilitarianism

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"utilitarianism" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“utilitarianism” is uncommon English (frequency #52,703 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,703
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A system of ethics based on the premise that something's value may be measured by its usefulness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-utilitarianism · utilitarianism · English

utilitarianism · rank #52,703 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,703
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-7 7 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH Vella

Nearest frequency peer: Vella (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “utilitarianism”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “utilitarianism” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for utilitarianism
PropertyValue
Headwordutilitarianism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters14
Frequency rank#52,703
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “utilitarianism” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).utilitarianismfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Vella” (#52,704), “untie” (#52,701), “unnerved” (#52,700). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “utilitarianism” is #52,703. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

utilitarianism is uncommon English at frequency #52,703 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for utilitarianism, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From utilitarian + -ism. The correct English form is utilitarianism, spelled U-T-I-L-I-T-A-R-I-A-N-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A system of ethics based on the premise that something's value may be measured by its usefulness.
  2. 2
    The theory that action should be directed toward achieving the "greatest happiness for the greatest number of people" (hedonistic universalism), or one of various related theories.
  3. 3
    Practicality, functionality, as opposed to e.g. aesthetics.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how utilitarianism appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. After a few more concerts, my uneasiness took form: the response seemed only to be to the Interpreter as Performer. The reviews praised her artistry. But I heard few women speak of her as a bridge in communication for deaf women, about her function, her "utilitarianism."

Etymology

From utilitarian + -ism.

This word in other languages

utilitarismo(Español)utilitarisme(Français)Utilitarismus(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "utilitarianism"?
"utilitarianism" is spelled U-T-I-L-I-T-A-R-I-A-N-I-S-M.
What does "utilitarianism" mean?
As a noun, "utilitarianism" means: A system of ethics based on the premise that something's value may be measured by its usefulness.
What is the origin of the word "utilitarianism"?
From utilitarian + -ism. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "utilitarianism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

arrondissement#52,780predestination#52,566intersectional#52,410interferometer#53,020

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list