advantage

[ ad-van-tij, -vahn- ]
See synonyms for: advantageadvantagedadvantagesadvantaging on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. superiority or ascendancy (often followed by over or of): His height gave him an advantage over his opponent.

  2. a position of superiority (often followed by over or of): their advantage in experienced players.

  3. Tennis. the first point scored after deuce.

verb (used with object),ad·van·taged, ad·van·taging.
  1. to be of service to; yield profit or gain to; benefit.

  2. to cause to advance; further; promote: Such action will advantage our cause.

  1. to prove beneficial to; profit: It would advantage him to work harder.

Idioms about advantage

  1. 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.

  2. take advantage of,

    • to make use of for gain: to take advantage of an opportunity.

    • to impose upon, especially unfairly, as by exploiting a weakness: to take advantage of someone.

  1. to advantage, to good effect; advantageously: The paintings were arranged to advantage on one wall.

Origin of advantage

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ava(u)ntage, from Anglo-French, Old French avantage, equivalent to avant “before” + -age noun suffix; see origin at advance, -age

Other words for advantage

Words Nearby advantage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use advantage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for advantage

advantage

/ (ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ) /


noun
  1. (often foll by over or of) 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)

  1. tennis

    • the point scored after deuce

    • the resulting state of the score

  2. take advantage of

    • to make good use of

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

    • to seduce

  3. to advantage to good effect: he used his height to advantage at the game

  4. you have the advantage of me you know me but I do not know you

Origin of advantage

1
C14: avantage (later altered to advantage on the model of words beginning with Latin ad-), from Old French avant before, from Latin abante from before, away. See advance

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with advantage

advantage

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.