功利

gōnglì
adjective #34,992

Meanings

  1. 1 utilitarian
  2. 2 materialistic
  3. 3 self-serving
  4. 4 result-oriented

Examples

Xiàndài shèhuì tài gōnglì le.
Modern society is too utilitarian.
Tā jiāo péngyǒu fēicháng gōnglì.
He makes friends in a very self-serving way.
Jiàoyù bù yīnggāi guòyú gōnglì.
Education shouldn't be too results-obsessed.

Tips

usage
Usually carries a mild negative tone: caring only about tangible gains and ignoring values or relationships. As a noun it can neutrally mean "material benefit" (追求功利).
culture
功利主义 is the standard rendering of "utilitarianism" in philosophy (Bentham, Mill), where the word is descriptive rather than derogatory.

Stroke Order

gōng