disadvantage

American  

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

noun

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

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verb (used with object)

disadvantaged, disadvantaging

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 )

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verb

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

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

The same mechanism that produces unequal economic opportunity also produces unequal political opportunity—and in politics, the disadvantage compounds across stages.

From Slate • May 22, 2026

If there’s a disadvantage, it’s that this type of chip is expensive and difficult to manufacture.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

But having closed on Broadway in February, it may find itself at a disadvantage as the Tony Awards campaigning heats up.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

"This goes on more than you'd think and it's putting people like me at a disadvantage," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

A milk producer in northern Japan cannot hope to compete in southern Japan, because transporting milk there would take an extra day or two, a fatal disadvantage in the eyes of consumers.

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

Related Words

• detriment
• harm
• prejudice