adverbadverb
inutilement
in vain
Definition & meaning
Inutilement means uselessly, needlessly, or in vain. It describes an action that serves no purpose or produces no useful result.
- Il a attendu inutilement. — He waited in vain.
- Ne dépensez pas inutilement. — Don’t spend money needlessly.
Grammar & Word origin
Inutilement is an adverb. It is formed from the adjective inutile (“useless” or “unnecessary”) and the adverb-forming suffix -ment.
Synonyms & antonyms
- vainement — “in vain”; emphasizes failure to achieve a result.
- pour rien — “for nothing” or “in vain”; a more informal phrase.
- inutile — “useless” or “unnecessary”; the corresponding adjective, not an adverb.
Antonyms include:
- utilement — “usefully,” with a useful purpose or result.
- efficacement — “effectively,” with the intended result; it emphasizes effectiveness rather than usefulness alone.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Il a cherché inutilement ses clés.adverb
He searched for his keys in vain.
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