disadvantage

1 of 2

noun

dis·​ad·​van·​tage ˌdis-əd-ˈvan-tij How to pronounce disadvantage (audio)
1
: loss or damage especially to reputation, credit, or finances : detriment
the deal worked to their disadvantage
2
a
: an unfavorable, inferior, or prejudicial condition
we were at a disadvantage
b
: a quality or circumstance that makes achievement unusually difficult : handicap
his lack of formal schooling was a serious disadvantage

disadvantage

2 of 2

verb

disadvantaged; disadvantaging; disadvantages

transitive verb

: to place at a disadvantage : harm

Examples of disadvantage in a Sentence

Noun She had the disadvantage of growing up in a poor community. They argued that the new regulations would place their company at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace. There are advantages and disadvantages to the new system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Doesn’t that put the NSA—and the United States—at a disadvantage in intelligence gathering and processing? Will Knight, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024 Currently, the Federal Trade Commission is investigating large suppliers and retail chains for practices that disadvantage independent stores, such as giving large chains preferential products and sizes over small stores. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Often, in these decisions, the court has used colorblindness as a rationale that dismisses both the particular history of racial disadvantage and its continuing disparities. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 While Steward’s for-profit ownership structure put its hospitals at a disadvantage, many health care executives say the state’s entire network of hospitals is approaching a capacity shortage not seen since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jon Chesto — Boston Globe, STAT, 12 Mar. 2024 The disadvantage of this approach is a lot of visibility to the ground level, and this might end with that visibility getting outside or reaching competitors. Dipak Kulkarni, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The change comes after officials found that the scores were the single best predictor of students’ academic performance and that not considering them could be a disadvantage for those who have already faced daunting challenges. Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 Trump’s campaign war chest is far smaller than Biden’s, putting the former president at a disadvantage in a likely general election rematch between the two men. Nancy Cook, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 And then there’s Apple, which appears to be engaging in outright malicious compliance, leaving European developers at a disadvantage. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
In a 93-page opinion rendered Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman ruled that the Minority Business Development Agency’s presumption that businesses owned by Blacks, Latinos and other minorities are inherently disadvantaged violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. Julian Mark, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The exam will still be scored on a 1600-point scale, and the College Board has said that students won’t be disadvantaged if they are routed to an easier second section. Katie Lobosco, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 The research here is still unfolding, but experts believe Black athletes' higher risk is tied to the social, economic, and physical conditions disadvantaged populations live in. Julia Landwehr, Health, 22 Feb. 2024 The tax code, social security benefits, pensions, health insurance, IRAs, and countless other aspects of our societal infrastructure are set up to support married family units—and disadvantage those who choose to stay single. Clare Egan, Longreads, 13 Feb. 2024 That was the start of a career, as well as volunteer work, spent helping and representing workers and disadvantaged people such immigrants and refugees, Simon said. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2024 The learning center, based in South Africa, educates disadvantaged children on art and other life skills. Callum Sutherland, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 But by doing so, and matching the streaming residual terms obtained by the WGA, the AMPTP helps DGA leadership make the case to its members that they were not disadvantaged by refusing to strike. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 25 Jan. 2024 Of those that did, women were disadvantaged in some way almost two-thirds of the time. Lucy Perez, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disadvantage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English disavauntage, from Anglo-French desavantage, from des- dis- + avantage advantage

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disadvantage was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near disadvantage

Cite this Entry

“Disadvantage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disadvantage. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disadvantage

1 of 2 noun
dis·​ad·​van·​tage ˌdis-əd-ˈvant-ij How to pronounce disadvantage (audio)
1
: loss or damage especially to one's good name or finances
the deal worked to our disadvantage
2
a
: a state or condition that favors someone else
was at a disadvantage in educated company
b
: something not helpful : a cause of difficulty

disadvantage

2 of 2 verb
disadvantaged; disadvantaging
: to place at a disadvantage : harm

More from Merriam-Webster on disadvantage

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