Serving a purpose

UTILE

Think of a Latin-derived word meaning "useful" that you might find in a philosophy or economics discussion.

"Serving a purpose" hints at something useful or functional, which directly points to the word "utile"—a less common but precise term meaning practical or beneficial. The clue plays it straight with no wordplay, relying on the definition alone. If you know Latin roots, "utile" comes from utilis, meaning "useful," which reinforces the connection. It’s a concise answer that fits both the meaning and the crossword’s letter count.