usability

noun

us·​abil·​i·​ty ˌyü-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: the quality or state of being usable : ease of use

When netbooks arrived a couple of years ago, they were so tiny, only spider monkeys would find them usable. But as they've inched up in size and usability, their sales have taken off.

—David Pogue

One of the other great problems of computer software is preoccupation with bells and whistles, rather than usability. Even software that began as easily usable can evolve over time into something so burdened with complicated (and trivial) features that it is a challenge to figure out how to do the simplest thing.

—Thomas Sowell

Examples of usability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In this regard, local stablecoins can be seen as the bridge between global capital and local usability. —Aaron Stanley, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Phone users revert to secure messaging for its simplicity, usability and immediacy because such platforms seem more private and secure than corporate alternatives. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

The dams on the Fox River play a vital role in maintaining its health and usability. —Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025

Evidence has emerged of the potential speed and usability benefits of having access to real buttons instead of smartphone-like touchscreens. —Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 9 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for usability

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• capability
• changeability
• contractility
• credibility
• culpability
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility