noun
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a state, position, or opportunity affording superiority or advantage
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superiority or benefit accruing from such a position, state, etc
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tennis short for advantage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of vantage
1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French, aphetic variant of avantage advantage
Explanation
A vantage is a really good place from which to survey a scene. You might find that the roof of the house offers an excellent vantage from which to drop water balloons on your kid brother’s head. Vantage is a variation of advantage, but when we use vantage we’re almost always talking about a position, not just general superiority. If you had extra tutoring for a big exam, you would have the advantage over a classmate who didn’t. But if your seat for the test allowed you to see the answer sheet lying on the desk, well then you would have a superior vantage — not that you would take advantage of that, of course!
Vocabulary lists containing vantage
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"
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Legend
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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.
Nighttime photography enthusiast Tim Reaves scouts out potential vantage points before the sun goes down to ensure he can get the best shot possible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Because the catcher has the best vantage point, teams across the majors have made their catchers, not their pitchers, the point men for ABS challenges on defense.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
The underlying trends also look grim from Putin’s vantage.
From Slate • May 9, 2026
I'm a British person with Indian heritage, giving me a vantage point over two countries with radically different feelings towards voice notes.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
The howl that Sergeant Hicks emitted was demonic enough to startle Ben, who watched from his anonymous vantage point in the car.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
