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

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

See Examples For:

detriment detriments

“The conditions encourage speed. Removing the source of the odors is the primary objective here. However, that speed should not come at the detriment of the emission of odors or public health.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

That was “to the detriment of diesel and gasoline,” Smith said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

He didn’t consider what her experience might prompt her to do, to his own eventual detriment.

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026

"They kept off sensitive topics and followed the script to show the world that they can manage their competition and can cooperate on issues that are of no detriment," he said.

From Barron's ● May 15, 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

On Jan. 30, during an appearance before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Kennedy doubled down on the detriments of UPFs.

From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2025

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

Each of the two paths has its own peculiar advantages and detriments; and the chief difference between them is that actions are fleeting, while works remain.

From The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer: the Wisdom of Life by T. Bailey (Thomas Bailey) Saunders

Related Words

• disadvantage