late 14c., "fact of being useful," from Old French utilite "usefulness" (13c., Modern French + utilité), earlier utilitet (12c.), from Latin utilitatem (nominative utilitas) "usefulness, serviceableness, profit," from utilis "usable," from uti (see use, v.). Meaning "a useful thing" is from late 15c. As a shortened form of public utility it is recorded from 1930.