French word

utilitaire

Pronunciation

IPA/ytilitɛʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounvan

Example

Ils ont loué un utilitaire pour le déménagement.

They rented a van for the move.

Illustration for utilitaire (van)

More examples

Il a acheté un utilitaire pour son entreprise.

He bought a commercial vehicle for his business.

Core concept

A compact commercial vehicle loaded with parcels, tools, or household goods.

Common phrases

  • achat d'un utilitaire

    purchase of a commercial vehicle

  • assurance pour utilitaire

    insurance for a commercial vehicle

  • réparer un utilitaire

    repair a commercial vehicle

Similar words

camionnette: A small truck-like vehicle for carrying goods or a few people.
fourgon: A vehicle with a box-shaped cargo area for transporting goods.
van: A high-roof vehicle suited to carrying people or goods for varied purposes.
camion: A large truck for carrying heavy loads or large quantities of goods.

Definition in French

Véhicule utilitaire léger conçu pour le transport de marchandises, souvent employé pour les livraisons et les déménagements.

Word origin

French formed the noun utilitaire from the adjective utilitaire, which comes from Latin utilis and originally described practical usefulness.

Usage tips

  • Utilitaire covers several light commercial vehicle types, so fourgon or camionnette may be needed when a more specific vehicle description matters.

Other meanings

  • delivery vehiclenoun
  • practicaladjective

Opposites

  • véhicule particulierpassenger vehiclenoun

Related words

Word lists with this word