ĭn-ūtĭlis, e, adj., useless, unserviceable, unprofitable; constr. absol., with ad, or with dat. (class.).
I In gen.
A Of persons.
α Absol. : homo iners atque inutilis, Cic. Off. 3, 6, 31; Verg. A. 2, 647; 10, 794: dum meliorem ex ducibus inutilem vulnus faceret, Liv. 21, 53: turba, id. 30, 30; Just. 2, 11, 3.— Sup. , Col. 3, 10, 6.—
β With ad : per aetatem ad pugnam inutiles, Caes. B. G. 2, 16: ad rem gerendam, id. B. C. 3, 43; Val. Max. 3, 2, 11.—
γ With dat.: aetate inutiles bello, Caes. B. G. 7, 78: sibi, Cic. Inv. 1, 1, 1: reipublicae, Liv. 29, 1.—
B Of inanim. and abstr. things: rami, Hor. Epod. 2, 13: naves ad navigandum inutiles, Caes. B. G. 4, 29: tempestas non inutilis ad capiendum consilium, id. ib. 7, 27: impedimenta, Liv. 38, 15 fin. : ferrum, Verg. A. 2, 510: lingua, Ov. H. 4, 7: alga, Hor. C. 3, 7, 10: et genus et nomen jactare, id. ib. 1, 14, 3: inutiles oratori universales quaestiones, Quint. 3, 5, 12; 5, 10, 82: ad audiendum, id. 4, 1, 34.—With subj.-clause : quod non inutile sit imitari, Quint. 2, 3, 11; 1, 1, 27; 11, 2, 48 et saep.: stipulatio, invalid , Gai. Inst. 3, 97: fidei commissa, id. ib. 2, 261.— Sup. : inutilissimus quisque, Col. 3, 10, 1.—
II Esp., hurtful , injurious.
A Of persons: seditiosus et inutilis civis, Cic. Off. 2, 14; so id. ib. 3, 13: sed sibi inutilior, Ov. M. 13, 37: mihi reique publicae, Auct. B. Afr. 54. —
B Of inanim. and abstr. things: fungus, Cels. 5, 27, n. 17: inutile est, Cic. Off. 3, 13; Plin. 17, 27, 45, § 257: aquae inutiles pestilentesque, Sen. Q. N. 6, 27: oratio, Liv. 42, 14: arbitrium, Ov. M. 11, 100.—Adv.: ĭnū-tĭlĭter .
1 Uselessly , unprofitably : non inutiliter, Quint. 2, 4, 18.—
2 Hurtfully , injuriously : late diffusa aqua bibitur inutilius, Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 2: administrare, Auct. B. Alex. 65, 1.