advantage

English Online Dictionary. What means advantage‎? What does advantage mean?

English

Alternative forms

• advauntage (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English avantage, avauntage, from Old French avantage, from avant (“before”), from Late Latin ab ante. The spelling with d was a mistake, a- being supposed to be from Latin ad (see advance). For sense development, compare foredeal.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ədˈvɑːn.tɪd͡ʒ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ədˈvæn.(t)ɪd͡ʒ/

Noun

advantage (countable and uncountable, plural advantages)

1. (countable) Any condition, circumstance, opportunity or means, particularly favorable or chance to success, or to any desired end.
2. (obsolete) Superiority; mastery; — used with of to specify its nature or with over to specify the other party.
3. (countable, uncountable) Superiority of state, or that which gives it; benefit; gain; profit

4. (tennis) The score where one player wins a point after deuce but needs the next to carry the game.
5. (soccer) The continuation of the game after a foul against the attacking team, because the attacking team are in an advantageous position.
6. Interest of money; increase; overplus (as the thirteenth in the baker's dozen).

Synonyms

• (favorable condition or position): edge, vantage
• (superiority of state, positive aspect): benefit, perk, upside, pro, foredeal
• (in tennis): ad

Antonyms

• disadvantage, drawback

Derived terms

Related terms

• advance
• vantage

Translations

Verb

advantage (third-person singular simple present advantages, present participle advantaging, simple past and past participle advantaged)

1. (transitive) to provide (someone) with an advantage, to give an edge to [from 15th c.]
2. (reflexive) to do something for one's own benefit; to take advantage of [from 16th c.]

Usage notes

• Some authorities object to the use of advantage as a verb meaning "to provide with an advantage".

Synonyms

• favor, favorise
• benefit

Derived terms

• advantageable

Translations

References

• “advantage”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “advantage”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French, see above.

Noun

advantage m (plural advantages)

1. advantage

Related terms

• advantageux

Descendants

• French: avantage
  • → Albanian: avantazh
  • → Franco-Provençal: avantâjo
  • → Greek: αβαντάζ (avantáz)
  • → Polish: awantaż
  • → Portuguese: vantagem
  • → Romanian: avantaj
  • → Spanish: ventaja
  • → Turkish: avantaj