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Webster 1913 Edition

Advantage

Ad-van′tage

(?; 61, 48)
,
Noun.
[OE.
avantage
,
avauntage
, F.
avantage
, fr.
avant
before. See
Advance
, and cf.
Vantage
.]
1.
Any condition, circumstance, opportunity, or means, particularly favorable to success, or to any desired end; benefit;
as, the enemy had the
advantage
of a more elevated position
.
Give me
advantage
of some brief discourse.
Shakespeare
The
advantages
of a close alliance.
Macaulay.
2.
Superiority; mastery; – with of or over.
Lest Satan should get an
advantage
of us.
2 Cor. ii. 11.
3.
Superiority of state, or that which gives it; benefit; gain; profit;
as, the
advantage
of a good constitution
.
4.
Interest of money; increase; overplus (as the thirteenth in the baker’s dozen).
[Obs.]
And with
advantage
means to pay thy love.
Shakespeare
Advantage ground
,
vantage ground.
[R.]
Clarendon.
–
To have the advantage of
(any one),
to have a personal knowledge of one who does not have a reciprocal knowledge.
“You have the advantage of me; I don't remember ever to have had the honor.”
Sheridan.
–
To take advantage of
,
to profit by; (often used in a bad sense) to overreach, to outwit.
Syn. –
Advantage
,
Advantageous
,
Benefit
,
Beneficial
.
We speak of a thing as a benefit, or as beneficial, when it is simply productive of good; as, the benefits of early discipline; the beneficial effects of adversity. We speak of a thing as an advantage, or as advantageous, when it affords us the means of getting forward, and places us on a “vantage ground” for further effort. Hence, there is a difference between the benefits and the advantages of early education; between a beneficial and an advantageous investment of money.

Ad-van′tage

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Advantaged
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Advantaging
.]
[F.
avantager
, fr.
avantage
. See
Advance
.]
To give an advantage to; to further; to promote; to benefit; to profit.
The truth is, the archbishop's own stiffness and averseness to comply with the court designs,
advantaged
his adversaries against him.
Fuller.
What is a man
advantaged
, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Luke ix. 25.
To advantage one's self of
,
to avail one's self of.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Advantage

ADV'ANTAGE

,
Noun.
1.
Any state, condition, or circumstance, favorable to success, prosperity, interest, or reputation.
The enemy had the advantage of elevated ground.
2.
Benefit; gain; profit.
What advantage will it be to thee? Job 35.
There exists, in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage.
3.
Means to an end; opportunity; convenience for obtaining benefit; as, student enjoy great advantages for improvement.
The General took advantage of his enemy's negligence.
4.
Favorable state or circumstances; as, jewels set to advantage.
5.
Superiority, or prevalence over; with of or over.
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, (or over us.) 2Cor. 2.
6.
Superiority, or that which gives it; as, the advantage of a good constitution.
7.
Interest; increase; overplus.
And with advantage means to pay thy love. Obs.
8.
Additional circumstance to give preponderation.

ADV'ANTAGE

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To benefit; as to yield profit or gain.
What is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? Luke 9.
2.
To promote; to advance the interest of.

Definition 2024

advantage

advantage

English

Alternative forms

Noun

advantage ‎(countable and uncountable, plural advantages)

  1. (countable) Any condition, circumstance, opportunity or means, particularly favorable to success, or to any desired end.
    The enemy had the advantage of a more elevated position.‎
    • 2013 June 7, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6:
      In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare
      Give me advantage of some brief discourse.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Macaulay
      the advantages of a close alliance
  2. (obsolete) Superiority; mastery; — used with of to specify its nature or with over to specify the other party.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Bible, 2 Corinthians ii. 11
      Lest Satan should get an advantage of us.
  3. (countable, uncountable) Superiority of state, or that which gives it; benefit; gain; profit; as, the advantage of a good constitution.
    Having the faster car is of little advantage.
  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 a advantageous position.
    • November 17 2012, BBC Sport: Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham
      Webb played an advantage that enabled Cazorla to supply a low cross from the left for Giroud to sweep home first time, despite Gallas and Vertonghen being in close attendance.
  6. Interest of money; increase; overplus (as the thirteenth in the baker's dozen).
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare
      And with advantage means to pay thy love.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

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

Derived terms

Translations

References

  • advantage at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • advantage in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Middle French

Etymology

Old French, see above.

Noun

advantage m (plural advantages)

  1. advantage
    • 1595, Michel de Montaigne, Essais:
      Et pour commencer a luy oster son plus grand advantage contre nous, prenons voye toute contraire a la commune.
      And to start removing the biggest advantage it has against us, let's the take opposite route the the usual one

Related terms

Descendants

Etymology

From Middle English avantage, avauntage, from Old French avantage, from avant ‎(“before”), from Medieval Latin abante. 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): /əd.ˈvɑːn.tɪdʒ/
  • (US) IPA(key): /əd.ˈvæn.tɪdʒ/

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