disadvantage

American  

[dis-uhd-van-tij, -vahn-] / ˌdɪs ədˈvæn tɪdʒ, -ˈvɑn- /

noun

1. absence or deprivation of advantage or equality.

   Synonyms:

   hindrance, inconvenience, drawback

2. the state or an instance of being in an unfavorable circumstance or condition.

   to be at a disadvantage.

3. something that puts one in an unfavorable position or condition.

   His bad temper is a disadvantage.

4. injury to interest, reputation, credit, profit, etc.; loss.

   Your behavior is a disadvantage to your family's good name.

   Synonyms:

   damage, harm, hurt, detriment

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verb (used with object)

disadvantages, present (3rd person singular) disadvantaged, past participle, past disadvantaging present participle

1. to subject to disadvantage.

   I was disadvantaged by illness.

disadvantage British  

/ ˌdɪsədˈvɑːntɪdʒ /

noun

1. an unfavourable circumstance, state of affairs, thing, person, etc

2. injury, loss, or detriment

3. an unfavourable condition or situation (esp in the phrase at a disadvantage )

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verb

1. (tr) to put at a disadvantage; handicap

Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has disadvantaged
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have disadvantaged
  perfect
• am disadvantaging
  progressive 1st person singular
• are disadvantaging
  progressive
• have been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive
• is disadvantaging
  progressive 3rd person singular
• disadvantages
  singular 3rd person
• has been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• disadvantaging
  participle

Past

• had disadvantaged
  perfect
• had been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive
• were disadvantaging
  progressive plural
• was disadvantaging
  progressive singular
• disadvantaged
  participle
• disadvantaged
  simple

Future

• will disadvantage
  simple
• will have disadvantaged
  perfect
• will have been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive
• will be disadvantaging
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of disadvantage

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English disavauntage, from Anglo-French; Old French desavantage; equivalent to dis- ¹ + advantage

Explanation

A piece of bad luck or a less favorable position is a disadvantage. If you are trying to run a fifty-yard dash in flip flops when everyone else has on running shoes, you'll be at a disadvantage. It's harder to be successful when you start with a disadvantage. One kind of disadvantage is being born into a poor family — it's a struggle for a child in poverty to do well in school, attend college, or end up with a well-paying job. A disadvantage is the opposite of an advantage, a lucky or favorable circumstance. At the root of both words is the Old French avant, "at the front."

Example Sentences

The play closed in February, putting it at a disadvantage with Tony voters whose theatergoing typically kicks into high gear in the spring.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

But it can be a disadvantage when interest rates decline, since longer-duration portfolios will rise in value more rapidly.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Operators in strategically important sectors that would otherwise be at a competitive disadvantage to cheaper, more carbon-intensive imports—such as steelmakers and oil refineries—receive free allowances each year.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The same mechanism that produces unequal economic opportunity also produces unequal political opportunity—and in politics, the disadvantage compounds across stages.

From Slate • May 22, 2026

The Inca Empire also had a centralized political organization, but that actually worked to its disadvantage, because Pizarro seized the Inca chain of command intact by capturing Atahuallpa.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• detriment
• harm
• prejudice