obstacle vs utility

obstacle

noun
  • Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress, either physically or figuratively 

utility

noun
  • A software program designed to perform a single task or a small range of tasks, often to help manage and tune computer hardware, an operating system or application software. 

  • The ability to play multiple positions. 

  • The state or condition of being useful; usefulness. 

  • The ability of a commodity to satisfy needs or wants; the satisfaction experienced by the consumer of that commodity. 

  • Well-being, satisfaction, pleasure, or happiness. 

  • Something that is useful. 

  • A natural or legal areal monopoly distributer of a commodity (less often a service) delivered in continuous flows to multiple consumers from a common physical, infrastructural network, such as an electric company or water company; or, the securities of such a provider. 

adj
  • containing or intended for any of a building’s often-utility-related commodity transport, such as pipes or wires, or converting equipment, such as furnaces, water tanks or heaters, circuit breakers, central air conditioning units, laundry facilities, etc. 

  • Having to do with, or owned by, a service provider. 

  • Functional rather than attractive. 

How often have the words obstacle and utility occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )