disadvantage
Americannoun
-
disadvantages
plural
-
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)
-
disadvantages,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disadvantaged,
past participle, past
-
disadvantaging
present participle
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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Week 5: New Technology
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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 station groups say the ability of tech companies such as Google and Netflix to reach every consumer in the U.S. puts them at a disadvantage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Swiss business groups said the 12.5% tariff puts the nation at a competitive disadvantage compared with the European Union and the U.K.
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
Everyone kept glancing around at what the rest of the class was doing; this was both an advantage and a disadvantage of Potions, that it was hard to keep your work private.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Even with Europe’s disadvantages, experts said the region still has a solid foundation in biopharma and other industries such as engineering.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
As for Mr. Ramaswamy, his advantages are also his disadvantages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 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
I was beginning to see that growing up knowing only one other person had some serious disadvantages.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Another clip showed Fury, who said ticket profits would be donated to a local charity supporting disadvantaged children and students with disabilities, dictating the pace and repeatedly landing uppercuts at close range in the fifth.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
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
A dome team that makes the playoffs and has to play outdoors is suddenly disadvantaged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
“And insiders, who are trading in their own stock all the time, will have the information. This takes an already-unlevel playing field where Main Street investors are already disadvantaged, and makes it more unlevel.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 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
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
This arrangement allows students at the top of the curve to distinguish themselves, while not disadvantaging the majority of those who earn a “P.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025
Greer accused Brazil of disadvantaging American exports by offering lower tariffs to other trade partners.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025
A Stellantis spokeswoman noted that the company has said it wants an agreement “that fairly rewards our workforce for their contribution to our success, without significantly disadvantaging Stellantis against our nonunion competitors.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
"The Government's aerospace strategy will make sure that regulations remain fit for purpose, and advanced aviation technology is integrated into transport networks without disadvantaging those who use the airspace."
From Reuters ● Sep. 5, 2022
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.
