advantage

1 of 2

noun

ad·​van·​tage əd-ˈvan-tij How to pronounce advantage (audio)
1
: superiority of position or condition
Higher ground gave the enemy the advantage.
2
: a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor
lacked the advantages of an education
3
a
: benefit, gain
especially : benefit resulting from some course of action
a mistake which turned out to our advantage
see also take advantage of
b
obsolete : interest sense 3a
4
: the first point won in tennis after deuce

advantage

2 of 2

verb

advantaged; advantaging

transitive verb

: to give an advantage to : benefit
Government does not know how to strengthen all families, and no public policy avoids advantaging some families while implicitly asking others to wait in the queue.Martin Neil Baily
Phrases
to advantage
: so as to produce a favorable impression or effect
wishing to be seen to advantage

Examples of advantage in a Sentence

Noun Higher ground gave the enemy the advantage. He has an unfair advantage over us because of his wealth. His plan has the advantage of being less expensive than other options. He lacked the advantages of an advanced education. Speed is an advantage in most sports. The company's only advantage over the competition is its location. Applicants for this job will find that previous experience is an advantage. Being able to set your own schedule is one of the advantages of owning a business. Among the advantages of a small college is its campus life. There isn't any advantage in leaving early. Verb there's no question that that bicycle racer was significantly advantaged by a great set of genes
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Key advantages of lawn removal include: a. Water conservation: Lawns typically require significant amounts of water to maintain their lush appearance, especially in regions with hot and dry climates. Kobi Bardugo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 The main draws were the uphill advantage on one side, and the two-kilometer visibility on the other. Jared Lemus, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024 One of the main advantages is that these online casinos don’t make converting the bonus cash into real money a nightmare. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 The reinforcing effects of investments in service partnerships (to enable strategic focus) contribute to financial outperformance, which frees up more money to, among other things, continue investing in their areas of differentiating advantage while leaving service partners to do the rest. Mohamed Kande and Lang Davidson Of Pwc, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 Such seniority will never be an advantage for a politician. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Without naming Rivian, Scout chief executive Scott Keogh noted the advantage of Scout’s established brand name. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 In streaming, ValueAct noted that only Netflix is profitable in streaming, but that Disney has the advantage of broadcast reach, and a reputation for being creative-friendly. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 And for now, despite Trump’s many criminal and civil trials and a campaign that is unconventional at best, that gives the Republican the advantage. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
One of Strome’s goals came on the power play in the Ducks’ sixth multi-goal effort with the man advantage this season. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 12 Feb. 2024 Extremist demagogues take advantage of stagnant economic systems–systems that advantage the rich while enabling them to escape their civic duty–by channeling general frustration into popular support. Chuck Collins, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2024 If governance is to be judged by the opportunities offered to the least advantaged then this is an indictment on the management of the English game. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 If the Niners’ secondary — which should have a numbers advantage all game — hawks his throws, which have impressive power and accuracy given his poor throwing base, but can often sail, that’s a problem for the Packers. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024 The deal uptick reflects expectations, particularly in North America, that while oil and gas will continue to play a significant role in the energy mix for some time, cost and capital pressures will advantage bigger operators. Andrea Guerzoni, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024 That one-two shuffle — wherein the motion picture industry gets rocked by a shock to the system, followed by an adaptation that not only meets the challenge but turns it to advantage — set a pattern for Hollywood’s crisis management forever after. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2023 The administration is forgoing a chance to lower tariffs and strengthen labor and environmental standards on imports, thereby directly advantaging China: in 2021, China applied for admission to the TPP in the United States’ place. Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2023 That may seem odd, but what is often left unsaid in discussions of Wisconsin maps is that the islands are not random parcels created by mapmakers to advantage Republicans at the behest of a Republican legislature. Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'advantage.' 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

alteration (with initial a- taken as assimilated form of Latin ad- ad-) of Middle English avauntage, borrowed from Anglo-French avantage, from avant "before" (going back to Latin abante) + -age -age — more at advance entry 1

Verb

alteration (after advantage entry 1) of Middle English avauntagen, borrowed from Anglo-French avauntager, verbal derivative of avauntage, avantage advantage entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1549, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of advantage was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near advantage

Cite this Entry

“Advantage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advantage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

advantage

noun
ad·​van·​tage
əd-ˈvant-ij
1
: the fact of being in a better position or condition
gain the advantage
2
3
: something that helps the one it belongs to
speed is an advantage in sports

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