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utilitario

utilitarian

adjective oo-tee-lee-TAH-ryoh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Origin: from Latin utilitas (usefulness)

Also means

practical

Usage Note

Utilitario describes something designed purely for practical use rather than aesthetics — un coche utilitario (a utility car / city runabout). As a noun, un utilitario is a small, economy car in Spain. In philosophy it refers to utilitarianism (ética utilitaria). The English 'utilitarian' is a close false friend but 'utility car' is a better rendering in the automotive sense.

Examples

"Prefiero un diseño utilitario a uno decorativo."

Natural Translation

I prefer a utilitarian design to a decorative one.

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