disadvantage

American  

[dis-uhd-van-tij, -vahn-] / ˌdɪs ədˈvæn tɪdʒ, -ˈvɑn- /

noun

disadvantages plural

1. absence or deprivation of advantage or equality.

   Synonyms:

   hindrance, inconvenience, drawback

2. the state or an instance of being in an unfavorable circumstance or condition.

   to be at a disadvantage.

3. something that puts one in an unfavorable position or condition.

   His bad temper is a disadvantage.

4. injury to interest, reputation, credit, profit, etc.; loss.

   Your behavior is a disadvantage to your family's good name.

   Synonyms:

   damage, harm, hurt, detriment

---

verb (used with object)

disadvantages, present (3rd person singular) disadvantaged, past participle, past disadvantaging present participle

1. to subject to disadvantage.

   I was disadvantaged by illness.

disadvantage British  

/ ˌdɪsədˈvɑːntɪdʒ /

noun

1. an unfavourable circumstance, state of affairs, thing, person, etc

2. injury, loss, or detriment

3. an unfavourable condition or situation (esp in the phrase at a disadvantage )

---

verb

1. (tr) to put at a disadvantage; handicap

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disadvantages
  plural

Participles

• disadvantaging
  present
• disadvantaged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• disadvantage
  simple
• disadvantages
  simple
• have disadvantaged
  perfect
• has disadvantaged
  perfect
• am disadvantaging
  progressive
• are disadvantaging
  progressive
• is disadvantaging
  progressive
• have been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive
• has been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive

Past

• disadvantaged
  simple
• had disadvantaged
  perfect
• was disadvantaging
  progressive
• were disadvantaging
  progressive
• had been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will disadvantage
  simple
• will have disadvantaged
  perfect
• will be disadvantaging
  progressive
• will have been disadvantaging
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

“There will be many obstacles — the altitude will be a major disadvantage because we can’t acclimate to it,” Tuchel said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2026

Social Security-benefit rules favor married individuals and are a disadvantage for divorced, prematurely widowed and lifelong single older adults, according to a study in The Gerontologist, an academic journal focused on aging.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

But you then have a competitive disadvantage that’s even worse than meets the eye for the Europeans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Lowering their recommendation to neutral from outperform, the analysts tell clients in a note that incumbent insurers are at a disadvantage in relation to artificial-intelligence-related disruption due to their complex technology infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

The Inca Empire also had a centralized political organization, but that actually worked to its disadvantage, because Pizarro seized the Inca chain of command intact by capturing Atahuallpa.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• detriment
• harm
• prejudice