detriment

American  

[de-truh-muhnt] / ˈdɛ trə mənt /

noun

• detriments
  plural

1. loss, damage, disadvantage, or injury.

2. a cause of loss or damage.

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detriment British  

/ ˈdɛtrɪmənt /

noun

1. disadvantage or damage; harm; loss

2. a cause of disadvantage or damage

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Synonym Usage

See damage.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• detriments
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of detriment

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English from Middle French, from Latin dētrīmentum “loss, damage,” from dētrī- ( see detritus) + -mentum -ment

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Explanation

Detriment is the hurt or harm as a result of damage, loss, or a bad decision. The developers won the lawsuit, much to the detriment of the people who live near the construction site. The meaning of detriment has not changed much from its roots in the Latin word, detrimentum, which is "a rubbing off, loss, damage, defeat." A detriment is a loss that wears you down. Smoking is a detriment to good health, as is standing in the snow barefooted. To the detriment of the people who clean the floors, we gave the girls scrambled eggs right before gymnastics class.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

detriment detriments

Profitability is important, she says, but not to the detriment of top-line growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

“They probably got over their skis in terms of monetizing the platform at the detriment to user experience, and they’ve reset the growth plan and pivoted back to focusing on user experience,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

There is no shortage of ideas to dredge from this truth, about how we use art to cope, sometimes to our own detriment.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Bass had previously cited the uncertainty of the merger as a detriment to Hollywood workers’ livelihoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

“It’s a love of a bonnet, but I prefer the face inside, for it looks young and happy again,” and John kissed the smiling face, to the great detriment of the rosebud under the chin.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

And what are the nutrition benefits — and, possible, detriments?

From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2026

The game hadn’t evolved to where it is today, when speed and athleticism are viewed as desired traits, not detriments.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 25, 2023

A founder of the Indian National Congress, he expressed the opinions of many middle-class Indians in 1871 when he wrote on the subject of the benefits and detriments of British rule of India.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

"Such experiences leave a trail of devastation for individuals and their teams and undermine the performance of our parliament to the nation's detriments," said Ms Jenkins, the report's author.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2021

Sir, with your leave—I ask pardon—but the least thing detriments these tender colours; and as you have just been eating cheese with your hands—— Farm.

From The Parent's Assistant Stories for Children by Maria Edgeworth

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Related Words

• disadvantage

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