Word family noun advantage ≠ disadvantage the disadvantaged adjective advantageous ≠ disadvantageous advantaged ≠ disadvantaged verb disadvantage adverb advantageously ≠ disadvantageously
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishadvantagead‧van‧tage /ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ $ ədˈvæn-/ ●●● S2 W1 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]ADVANTAGE something that helps you to be more successful than others, or the state of having this OPP disadvantageadvantage over Her experience meant that she had a big advantage over her opponent. Younger workers tend to be at an advantage (=have an advantage) when applying for jobs. It might be to your advantage (=it might help you) to take a computer course of some kind.2 [countable, uncountable]GOOD POINT OR CHARACTERISTIC a good or useful feature that something hasadvantage of One of the many advantages of living in New York is that you can eat out at almost any time of day.advantage over This printer has several advantages over conventional printers.3 → take advantage of somebody4 → take advantage of something (to do something)5 → use/turn something to your/good advantage6 → show something to (good/great) advantage7 → advantage somebodyCOLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbshave an advantage (also enjoy an advantage formal)Our parents didn’t have all the advantages that we have.Western countries enjoyed considerable advantages in terms of technology.get/gain an advantageBoth teams tried to get an advantage.give somebody an advantageHis height gives him a big advantage.work to your advantage (=make you have an advantage – often used when this is unexpected)Sometimes a lack of experience can work to your advantage.see the advantage (=understand the advantage)I can see the advantage of living near the station.adjectivesa big/great/massive/huge advantageIt’s a great advantage to be able to speak some Spanish.a slight advantage (=a small one)Karpov enjoyed a slight advantage over his opponent. an unfair advantageCompanies that receive government subsidies have an unfair advantage.a definite/distinct advantage (=one that you can clearly notice)Electronic trading has a number of distinct advantages.a real advantage (=a definite advantage)The new system has some real advantages.an added advantage (=an extra advantage)Candidates with experience in Sales and Marketing would have an added advantage.a political advantageRepublicans have a political advantage in most of those areas.a military advantageThe military advantage had shifted towards the rebels.a psychological advantageWinning the first game gives you a psychological advantage over your opponent.phrasesthe advantages and disadvantages of somethingthe advantages and disadvantages of living in a big citythe advantages outweigh the disadvantages (=the advantages are more valuable)When it comes down to working from home, you have to decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘a good advantage’. Say a big advantage or a real advantage. THESAURUS – Meaning 2: a good or useful feature that something hasadvantage a good feature that something has, which makes it better, more useful etc than other thingsThe great advantage of digital cameras is that there is no film to process.benefit a feature of something that has a good effect on people’s livesRegular exercise has many benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease.merit a good feature that something has, which you consider when you are deciding whether it is the best choiceThe committee will consider the merits of the proposals.The merits and demerits of (=the good and bad features of)alternative funding systems were widely discussed in the newspapers.The chairman saw no great merit in this suggestion (=he did not think that it was a good idea).virtue an advantage that makes you believe that something is a good thingThey believed in the virtues of culture, civilization, and reason. He’s always extolling the virtues of hard work (=saying that hard work is a good thing).the good/great/best thing about something especially spoken used when mentioning a good feature of something. This phrase is rather informal and you should not use it in formal essaysThe good thing about cycling is that you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in a traffic jam.the beauty of something is that used when you want to emphasize that something has a very good or useful featureThe beauty of the plan is that it is so simple. Examples from the Corpus
advantage• I had already lived in France for a year, so I had a big advantage over the other students.• People who have been to university have a big advantage when it comes to finding jobs.• The Big Three are making a lot of noise in hopes of gaining a political and competitive advantage.• The elongated nose, however, gave these animals a considerable advantage over their competitors.• There might, however, be other advantages to polyandry.• Electronically supported meetings not only solve pressing business problems but offer their own advantages.• This gives them at least two powerful advantages over their struggling counterparts.• None the less, everything important is included on Sony's single disc, which thus enjoys a considerable price advantage.• If you appear to be easy and soft, people take advantage of you.• The advantage will be smoother, more life-like, more in-depth games - and probably more vivid nightmares.• Taxes on imports gave Japanese companies an unfair advantage.be at an advantage• Children have several advantages over adults when it comes to learning another language.• Mitchell's height gives him a distinct advantage over the other players.• Younger kids were at an advantage.• So I've always thought that we were at an advantage.• Students with a strong math background will be at an advantage next year when the statistics course starts.• Applicants with computer skills will be at an advantage.advantage of• The advantages of a college education should not be underestimated.From Longman Business Dictionaryadvantagead‧van‧tage /ədˈvɑːntɪdʒədˈvæn-/ noun [countable, uncountable] something that helps you to be better or more successful than othersAmerica’s lead in aerospace is one of its most important competitive advantages.Government subsidies give these industries an unfair advantage.advantage overIt has an advantage over foreign manufacturers because of its flexible workforce. → absolute advantage → comparative advantage → competitive advantage → first-mover advantage → last-mover advantage → second-mover advantageOrigin advantage (1300-1400) Old French avantage, from avant “before”, from Latin abante; → ADVANCE2 