advantage

American  

[ad-van-tij, -vahn-] / ædˈvæn tɪdʒ, -ˈvɑn- /

noun

1. any state, circumstance, opportunity, or means specially favorable to success, interest, or any desired end.

   the advantage of a good education.

2. benefit; gain; profit.

   It will be to his advantage to learn Chinese before going to China.

3. superiority or ascendancy (often followed by over orof ).

   His height gave him an advantage over his opponent.

4. a position of superiority (often followed by over orof ).

   their advantage in experienced players.

5. Tennis. the first point scored after deuce.

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verb (used with object)

advantaged, advantaging

1. to be of service to; yield profit or gain to; benefit.

   Synonyms:

   aid, help, avail, serve

2. to cause to advance; further; promote.

   Such action will advantage our cause.

3. to prove beneficial to; profit.

   It would advantage him to work harder.

idioms

1. to advantage, to good effect; advantageously.

   The paintings were arranged to advantage on one wall.

2. have the advantage of, to be in a superior or advantageous position; possess an advantage over.

   By virtue of independent wealth, he has the advantage of his opponents.

3. take advantage of,

   1. to make use of for gain.

      to take advantage of an opportunity.

   2. to impose upon, especially unfairly, as by exploiting a weakness.

      to take advantage of someone.

advantage British  

/ ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ /

noun

1. superior or more favourable position or power

   he had an advantage over me because of his experience

2. benefit or profit (esp in the phrase to one's advantage )

3. tennis

   1. the point scored after deuce

   2. the resulting state of the score

4. 1. to make good use of

   2. to impose upon the weakness, good nature, etc, of; abuse

   3. to seduce

5. to good effect

   he used his height to advantage at the game

6. you know me but I do not know you

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advantage More Idioms  

1. see get the advantage of; show to advantage; take advantage of; to advantage.

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Usage

What are other ways to say advantage? An advantage is something that positions one well for accomplishing something. How is advantage different from benefit and profit? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Etymology

Origin of advantage

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ava(u)ntage, from Anglo-French, Old French avantage, equivalent to avant “before” + -age noun suffix; advance, -age

Explanation

An advantage is like a head start in a race; it's that thing that gives you a better chance. The noun advantage also refers to a reward or benefit of some action or event. Being sick with the flu had the advantage of kick-starting your diet because you didn't feel like eating much. If you leverage the benefits, you are taking advantage of the situation. If you go on a business trip to Hawaii, you could take advantage of the opportunity and spend an extra day or two on vacation.

Example Sentences

While Intel would prefer PC demand to be just as strong, the company may be able to take advantage of weakness in that category.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

By financing improvements through C-PACE programs, Clearwater is taking advantage of a niche business in an increasingly crowded market, where more property owners are turning to private nonbank lenders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

He also was drawn to another figure — an increase in the number of families taking advantage of transitional kindergarten, which became fully available across the state to 4-year-olds for the current school year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The gap between Brent and dated Brent is an information advantage hiding in plain sight.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

It’s the kind of energy that makes me swim faster, and I plan to use it to my full advantage today.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• benefit
• edge
• favor
• gain
• interest
• leverage
• position
• power
• preference
• profit
• protection
• recognition
• return
• superiority
• support
• upper hand