An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. The state or quality of being useful; usefulness.
   

2. Having, or made for, useful practical purposes. → utility software.

Etymology (EN): M.E. utilite, from O.Fr. utilite “usefulness,”
earlier utilitet, from L. utilitatem “usefulness, profit,” from utilis “usable,” from uti “to use.”

Etymology (PE): Hudemandi, from hudemand “utile,” from hudé “use” (as in bihudé “useless, vain, absurd”), from Mid.Pers. hudâg “good, useful, beneficent;” Av. hūdā- “doing good, producing wealth,” from hū-, hu-, → eu-, + Av./O.pers. dā- “to give, grant, put,” dadāiti “he gives;” Mid.Pers./Mod.Pers. dâdan “to give, put”
(cf. Skt. dadáti “he gives;” Gk. tithenai “to place, put, set,” didomi “I give;”
L. dare “to give, offer;” Rus. delat’ “to do;” O.H.G. tuon, Ger. tun, O.E. don “to do;” PIE base *dhe- “to put, to do”) + -mand(i)