Advantage — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /əd-ˈvan-tij/ ad·van·tage

Meaning & Definition of Advantage

Advantage (noun)

  1. superiority of position or condition
  2. a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor
  3. benefit, gain; especially, benefit resulting from some course of action

Advantage (verb)

  1. to give an advantage to, benefit

Advantage (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the more favorable condition or position in a competition

    "your experience volunteering at the hospital will put you at an advantage when you're applying for a job there"

    similar: better, bulge, catbird seat, drop, edge, high ground, inside track, jump, pull, stead, upper hand, vantage, whip hand, coign of vantage
    related: allowance, head start, lead, leg up, margin, odds, start, ascendancy, command, dominance, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, transcendency, precedence, preference, prerogative, privilege, seniority, break, foothold, opportunity, benefit, blessing, boon, felicity, godsend, manna, windfall
    opposite: disadvantage, drawback, handicap, liability, minus, penalty, strike
    near: detriment, stranglehold, disparity, imbalance, inequality, unevenness, disability, failing, impairment, shortcoming, bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammel, lurch, setback

  2. a thing that helps

    "had all the advantages of being born into a wealthy and powerful family"

    similar: aid, asset, benefit, boon, help
    related: hand, lift, pick-me-up, support, sustenance, blessing, godsend, windfall, recourse, refuge, resort, resource
    opposite: disadvantage, drawback, encumbrance, hindrance, impediment, minus
    near: constraint, inhibitor, liability, obstacle, obstruction, restraint, stranglehold

Advantage (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to provide with something useful or desirable

    "there's no question that that bicycle racer was significantly advantaged by a great set of genes"

    similar: avail, benefit, help, profit, serve
    related: succeed, work (for), aid, assist, better, improve, content, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, bless
    near: hinder, impede, damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, afflict, distress, upset

Related Entry: Take (verb)

Take is a different word from Advantage. The synonyms below are for take, not for advantage.

  1. to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

    "take my hand, or we'll get separated in this crowd"

    similar: clasp, grasp, grip, hold, hang on to, lay hold of
    related: clench, cling (to), clutch, hold on (to), catch, nab, seize, snatch
    near: discharge, drop, free, liberate, release, deliver, entrust, give, hand, hand over, pass, relinquish, transfer, transmit, turn over, unhand

  2. to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly

    "will you take that call?"

    "took a cut in pay"

    similar: accept, have
    related: accede (to), assent (to), concede (to), confirm, consent (to), OK, ratify, sanction, warrant, acquiesce (to), bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to), abide, bear, brook, countenance, endure, shoulder, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, swallow, sweat out, tolerate, adopt, embrace, welcome
    opposite: decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down, veto
    near: dissent (to), object (to), oppose, protest, hold off, resist, withstand, combat, contest, fight

  3. to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

    "if you don't cover your head in this weather, you'll take cold and be stuck inside all weekend"

    similar: catch, come down (with), contract, get, go down (with) (chiefly British), sicken (with)
    related: break out (with), die (from), succumb (to), fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen
    near: come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off)

  4. to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities

    "you can take the white side this time, since I got to be white for our last chess game"

    similar: cherry-pick, choose, cull, elect, handpick, name, opt (for), pick, prefer, select, single (out), tag
    related: preselect, appoint, designate, fix, mark, nominate, set, tab, tap, accept, adopt, embrace, espouse, settle (on or upon)
    opposite: decline, refuse, reject, turn down
    near: disapprove, negative, repudiate, spurn, discard, jettison, throw away, throw out

  5. to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for

    "I'll take two cheeseburgers to go, please"

    similar: buy, cop (slang), pick up, purchase
    related: acquire, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure, win, finance, pay (for), spring (for), barter (for), deal (for), dicker (over), exchange (for), haggle (for), negotiate (about), trade (for), bargain (with), chaffer (with), horse-trade (with), palter (with), bid, offer, rebuy, repurchase
    near: deal (in), market, merchandise, retail, sell, vend

  6. to have as a requirement

    "it will take a lot of courage to stand up for what is right"

    similar: bear, challenge, claim, demand, necessitate, need, require, want, warrant, call for
    related: entail, involve, ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), hurt (for), lack, command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate
    opposite: have, hold
    near: own, possess

  7. to make or have room for

    "I think we can take two more in this elevator"

    similar: accommodate, fit, hold
    related: carry, contain, seat, enclose, encompass, enfold, harbor, house

  8. to produce a desired effect

    "it will be a few hours before this medication takes"

    similar: act, operate, perform, work, take effect, take hold
    related: behave, react, respond, affect, influence, sway, pan out, redound, result
    near: backfire, fizzle

  9. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "I can't take anymore of your whining about your former boyfriend"

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, tolerate, wear (British), live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

  10. to regard as right or true

    "I think we can take his word for it"

    similar: accept, believe, buy, credit, swallow, trust, set store by
    related: account, accredit, understand, assume, presume, suppose, conclude, deduce, infer
    opposite: disbelieve, discredit, reject
    near: distrust, doubt, misdoubt, mistrust, question, suspect, challenge, dispute

  11. to achieve a victory over

    "I know we can take that team"

    similar: beat, best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

  12. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "let's take each problem separately"

    similar: address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle, manage, maneuver, manipulate, negotiate, play, swing, treat, come to grips with, have a grip on
    related: engineer, finesse, jockey, bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull, command, direct, guide, steer, control, micromanage, regulate, run, react (to), respond (to)
    near: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

  13. to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to

    "the school takes only a small percentage of the thousands of applicants"

    similar: admit, enter, receive
    related: entertain, welcome, fellowship, confirm, ratify
    opposite: ban, bar
    near: decline, disallow, disapprove, dismiss, refuse, reject, blackball, blacklist, ostracize, banish, deport, exile, expel, oust, throw out

  14. to deprive of life

    "I never thought heart disease would take such an athletic and health-conscious person"

    similar: carry off, claim, croak (slang), destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, slay, do away with, do for (chiefly British), make away with
    related: bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice (slang), knock off, murder, neutralize, off (slang), put away, rub out, scrag, snuff, take out, waste, whack (slang), annihilate, blot out, decimate, kill off, massacre, mow, slaughter, smite, assassinate, execute, martyr, terminate, euthanize, put down, suicide
    opposite: animate
    near: raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Advantage

The most common words with a similar meaning to Advantage:

better, bulge, catbird seat, drop, edge, high ground, inside track, jump, pull, stead, upper hand, vantage, whip hand, aid, asset, benefit, boon, help, coign of vantage, avail, profit, serve

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Advantage

Words with the opposite meaning of Advantage:

disadvantage, drawback, handicap, liability, minus, penalty, strike, encumbrance, hindrance, impediment

Related Words for Advantage

allowance, head start, lead, leg up, margin, odds, start, ascendancy, command, dominance, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, transcendency, precedence, preference, prerogative, privilege, seniority, break, foothold, opportunity, blessing, felicity, godsend, manna, windfall, hand

Near Antonyms of Advantage

detriment, stranglehold, disparity, imbalance, inequality, unevenness, disability, failing, impairment, shortcoming, bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hitch, hurdle, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammel, lurch, setback, constraint

Word Forms of Advantage

Inflections: advantaged, advantaging

Origin & Etymology of Advantage

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 advance:1

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Advantage

Words & Phrases Containing Advantage

mechanical advantage, take advantage of, to advantage, at an advantage, redound to the advantage of, to one's advantage

Frequently Asked Questions about Advantage

What does "Advantage" mean?

"Advantage" means superiority of position or condition. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: superiority of position or condition. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Advantage"?

Other words for "Advantage" include better, bulge, catbird seat, drop, edge, high ground, inside track and jump. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Advantage" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Advantage"?

There are 71 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Advantage". Common alternatives include better, bulge, catbird seat, drop, edge, high ground, inside track, jump, pull and stead.

What is the opposite of "Advantage"?

Antonyms of "Advantage" include disadvantage, drawback, handicap, liability, minus, penalty, strike and encumbrance. Near antonyms include detriment, stranglehold, disparity and imbalance.

How do you use "Advantage" in a sentence?

Examples of "Advantage" in a sentence: "your experience volunteering at the hospital will put you at an advantage when you're applying for a job there"; "had all the advantages of being born into a wealthy and powerful family"; "there's no question that that bicycle racer was significantly advantaged by a great set of genes".

Is "Advantage" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Advantage" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Advantage" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Advantage" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Advantage"?

"Advantage" is pronounced /əd-ˈvan-tij/ and divided into syllables as ad·van·tage.