Library / English Dictionary

ADVANTAGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Benefit resulting from some event or action

Example:

reaping the rewards of generosity

Synonyms:

advantage; reward

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("advantage" is a kind of...):

benefit; welfare (something that aids or promotes well-being)

Derivation:

advantage (give an advantage to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality of having a superior or more favorable position

Example:

the experience gave him the advantage over me

Synonyms:

advantage; vantage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("advantage" is a kind of...):

asset; plus (a useful or valuable quality)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "advantage"):

favor; favour (an advantage to the benefit of someone or something)

leverage (strategic advantage; power to act effectively)

handicap (advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning)

homecourt advantage (the advantage of playing on your home court in front of fans who are rooting for you)

lead (an advantage held by a competitor in a race)

clout; pull (special advantage or influence)

head start; start (the advantage gained by beginning early (as in a race))

gain; profit (the advantageous quality of being beneficial)

preference (grant of favor or advantage to one over another (especially to a country or countries in matters of international trade, such as levying duties))

privilege (a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all)

expedience; expediency (the quality of being suited to the end in view)

favorable position; favourable position; superiority (the quality of being at a competitive advantage)

good (benefit)

advantageousness; favorableness; favourableness; positiveness; positivity; profitableness (the quality of being encouraging or promising of a successful outcome)

tax advantage (an advantage bestowed by legislation that reduces a tax on some preferred activity)

Antonym:

disadvantage (the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position)

Derivation:

advantage (give an advantage to)

advantageous (giving an advantage)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(tennis) first point scored after deuce

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("advantage" is a kind of...):

point (the unit of counting in scoring a game or contest)

Holonyms ("advantage" is a part of...):

lawn tennis; tennis (a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give an advantage to

Example:

This system advantages the rich

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "advantage" is one way to...):

favor; favour; prefer (promote over another)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

disadvantage (put at a disadvantage; hinder, harm)

Derivation:

advantage (benefit resulting from some event or action)

advantage (the quality of having a superior or more favorable position)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Potts added that the shorter time of onset for the VCD compared to that of lidocaine could be a distinct advantage in a busy emergency department setting.

(Better IV Insertion Device, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Over millions of years of evolution, this efficient use of energy provided an essential advantage: when food was scarce, organisms stored rather than burn some of the ingested energy, and they survived longer.

(Some gut cells slow down metabolism, accelerate cardiovascular disease, National Institutes of Health)

The advantage or disadvantage of your family, of your parents, your brothers and sisters, never seems to have had a moment's share in your thoughts on this occasion.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

By taking advantage of an energy source that has long been overlooked, Ndao said, the thermal diode could also help limit the amount of energy that gets wasted.

(Harnessing Heat to Power Computers, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A major advantage when it comes to microalgae is the fact that it is not seasonal and its production does not depend on specific conditions, like soil properties.

(Petrobras considers producing biodiesel from microalgae, Agência Brasil)

The rapidity with which such a poison would take effect would also, from his point of view, be an advantage.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

To the scientific student of the higher criminal world, no capital in Europe offered the advantages which London then possessed.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Madge took advantage of his indecision.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I had the advantage of learning which was which last night.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The slop-chest, as well as the provisions, was stored in the lazarette, and I took advantage of the opportunity to lay in a stock of underclothing.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)