disadvantage
Americannoun
-
absence or deprivation of advantage or equality.
- Synonyms:
- hindrance, inconvenience, drawback
-
the state or an instance of being in an unfavorable circumstance or condition.
to be at a disadvantage.
-
something that puts one in an unfavorable position or condition.
His bad temper is a disadvantage.
-
injury to interest, reputation, credit, profit, etc.; loss.
Your behavior is a disadvantage to your family's good name.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
an unfavourable circumstance, state of affairs, thing, person, etc
-
injury, loss, or detriment
-
an unfavourable condition or situation (esp in the phrase at a disadvantage )
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disadvantagesimple
-
disadvantagessimple
-
have disadvantagedperfect
-
has disadvantagedperfect
-
am disadvantagingprogressive
-
are disadvantagingprogressive
-
is disadvantagingprogressive
-
have been disadvantagingperfect progressive
-
has been disadvantagingperfect progressive
Past
-
disadvantagedsimple
-
had disadvantagedperfect
-
was disadvantagingprogressive
-
were disadvantagingprogressive
-
had been disadvantagingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing disadvantage
STAAR Grade 6 Reading: Informational Text
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Lesson 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The new 12.5% tariff on Swiss goods is higher than those for the neighboring European Union, putting the Alpine nation at a competitive disadvantage, according to business groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
That could put farmers and ranchers at a disadvantage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
When we lose a bunch of key leaders, folks who have dealt with these sorts of things over and over and over again, does that put us at a disadvantage?
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Department for Education said it was working to close the disadvantage gap by delivering opportunities for every child, including expanding government-funded childcare and extending eligibility for free school meals.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“I have you at a terrible disadvantage, I realize,” Lady Constance went on.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
It said the school leaned on how applicants answered “hardship” questions — which ask students how they overcame disadvantages — as a proxy for race.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Among a host of grievances, including anticorruption enforcement and barriers to U.S. ethanol imports, Washington argues that PIX has become so ubiquitous in Brazil it unfairly disadvantages U.S. payment companies such as Visa and Mastercard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Those disadvantages can ultimately affect both physical and mental health.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026
It is clear from recent balance sheets that qualifying for Europe's elite competition helps offset the financial disadvantages of a sub‑40,000‑capacity stadium and weaker commercial revenue than their so‑called 'big‑six' rivals.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
The tip would be discussed, as would the disadvantages of living in this particular neighborhood.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Telecoms companies in South Africa, including those with foreign investment, are required to provide 30 percent equity to historically disadvantaged groups -- a policy created to mitigate the legacy of racial inequality left by apartheid.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Women are also disadvantaged at the beginning of their careers, the report says.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Flying Start was originally aimed at disadvantaged areas but was gradually expanded to provide more childcare for two-year-olds.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
“Gov. Newsom has made an unprecedented commitment to safe drinking water for California’s most disadvantaged communities and it’s working,” spokesperson Anthony Martinez said in an email.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
To work, however, not as leaders but in order that the socially disadvantaged could lead their own lives.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
A unit of SpaceX is suing Apple for disadvantaging its AI app, and the company is now prototyping its own smartphone-like AI device.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
He also argued that ranking applicants by SAT scores ends up disadvantaging high-achieving low-income, first-generation and underrepresented minorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Greer accused Brazil of disadvantaging American exports by offering lower tariffs to other trade partners.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025
ANZ's three larger rivals have started considering lending without applying the 3% buffer, saying it is disadvantaging some borrowers.
From Reuters ● Jul. 12, 2023
Also, many state guidelines were designed decades ago to benefit victims who would make the best witnesses, disadvantaging people with criminal histories, among others.
From Seattle Times ● May 17, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
