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; see origin at 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

But only hours before the scheduled ceremony, he announced he was postponing the executive order because he did not want to take away America’s competitive advantage over China and other countries.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

Peacock and ITV also took advantage of TikTok and Instagram to promote salacious and memorable moments daily.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

An advantage of working with a larger bank could be it’s wider scope.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

But there were still valuable belongings at their home, and his family was concerned burglars might try to ignore the hazardous chemicals in the air and take advantage of the situation.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

The third showed Tiamat taking advantage of the open door to escape from his room.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

Related Words

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