# convenience

/kənˈvinjəns/ (US) · /kənvˈiːnɪəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/convenience
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. ease of use

noun · CEFR B2

the quality of being easy to use or useful for your needs.

For teachers: the state or quality of being useful, easy, or suitable for a particular purpose without causing difficulty.

- I love the convenience of living so close to the train station.
- The modern consumer often prioritises convenience over price, leading to a significant rise in the popularity of pre-packaged meal kits.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun in this sense.

### 2. a helpful tool or service

noun · CEFR B2

something that makes your life easier or saves you time.

For teachers: a device, service, or arrangement that contributes to an individual's comfort or ease of living.

- The apartment has all the modern conveniences, including a dishwasher and a dryer.
- The hotel provides various conveniences for business travellers, such as high-speed internet and a twenty-four-hour laundry service.

Usage: Commonly used in the plural form 'conveniences'.

### 3. a suitable time

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a time that works well for you.

For teachers: a time or situation that is suitable or advantageous for someone.

- Please call me back at your earliest convenience to discuss the plan.
- The manager requested that the staff review the new safety protocols at their earliest convenience to ensure compliance before the audit.

Usage: Frequently appears in the phrase 'at your earliest convenience'.

Teaching tip: This is a standard polite phrase in business emails meaning 'as soon as you can'.

### 4. public toilet

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Formal

a public toilet.

For teachers: a public lavatory or restroom facility.

- Is there a public convenience near the park entrance?
- The local council allocated funds to renovate the public conveniences in the town centre, citing the need for better accessibility for disabled visitors.

Usage: Often used in the full phrase 'public convenience'.

Teaching tip: This is a very formal or slightly old-fashioned way to refer to a public toilet in the UK.

## Examples

- I love the convenience of shopping online from my bed.
- The new apartment complex offers the convenience of an on-site gym and a grocery store on the ground floor.
- Modern urban planning often prioritizes the convenience of the individual commuter over the long-term sustainability of the local ecosystem, leading to an over-reliance on private vehicles.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.