detriment

American  

[de-truh-muhnt] / ˈdɛ trə mənt /

noun

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.

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

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

The frenzy of the new attention economy has only inflated the importance of the Tony Awards — to the detriment of the Broadway calendar.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

The oil surge also benefited the U.S. dollar to the detriment of foreign currencies, as oil is generally priced in dollars.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

And both risk pushing the law toward technical rules that operate to the detriment of voters themselves.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Several factors are conspiring to drive interest rate structurally higher, to the detriment of private credit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 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

Related Words

• disadvantage