Meaning of “advantage” in the English Dictionary

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"advantage" in English

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advantagenoun

uk ​ /ədˈvɑːn.tɪdʒ/ us ​ /ədˈvæn.t̬ɪdʒ/

B1 [ C or U ] a condition giving a greater chance of success:

The advantage of booking tickets in advance is that you get better seats.
Despite the twin advantages of wealth and beauty, she did not have a happy life.
[ + to infinitive ] It would be to your advantage (= it would improve the situation for you) to agree to his demands.
For a goalkeeper, it's a great advantage to have big hands.
His height and reach give him a big advantage over (= make him better than) other boxers.
UK formal "Do you know how old I am?" "I'm afraid you have the advantage of me there (= you know the answer but I do not)."
take advantage of sth

B1 to use the good things in a situation:

I thought I'd take advantage of the sports facilities while I'm here.
take advantage of sb/sth B2 disapproving

› to treat someone badly in order to get something good from them:

I think she takes advantage of his good nature.
I know she's offered to babysit, but I don't want her to think we're taking advantage of her.

› [ U ] the word used in tennis when a player has won the point after deuce:

Advantage Miss Williams!
play advantage

› In games such as football, if a referee plays advantage, they do not stop the game when there is a foul because allowing play to continue gives an advantage to the team that has been fouled:

The ref should have played advantage because Rooney would have been through on goal.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

(Definition of “advantage” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"advantage" in American English

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advantagenoun [ C/U ]

us ​ /ədˈvæn·tɪdʒ, æd-/

› a condition that helps you or gives you a greater chance of success:

[ C ] His long arms give him a big advantage over other boxers.
[ U ] Test scores show no advantage for students in the new schools.
[ U ] Her teacher likes her very much, which works to her advantage (= helps her) if she has trouble in class.
advantageous
adjective us ​ /ˌædˌvænˈteɪ·dʒəs, -vən-/

›

The agreement is advantageous to both sides.

(Definition of “advantage” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"advantage" in Business English

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advantagenoun [ C or U ]

uk ​ /ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/ us ​

› a good feature that makes something better than similar things:

have/get/gain an advantage Smaller businesses often have an advantage in the area of customer relations.
advantage over sb Neither company appears to have a particular technological advantage over the other.
advantage for sb There are advantages for both employers and employees in flexible working hours.
the advantages of sth What are the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing?
the advantages of doing sth Some firms may find that the advantages of using free software outweigh the disadvantages.
The British ferry operator complained that its French rivals had an unfair advantage because of government aid.
a big/huge/major advantage Online advertising can have some major advantages.
a great/important/significant advantage Foreign domestic investment brings important advantages through new technologies and enhanced access to overseas markets.
a clear/definite/distinct advantage There can be distinct advantages in having a dominant individual presence in the boardroom.
See also
absolute advantage
comparative advantage
competitive advantage
first-mover advantage
last-mover advantage
second-mover advantage
at an advantage

› in a more powerful or successful position than other people or things:

With the dollar weakening, US exporters will be at an advantage.
Your experience as a legal secretary undoubtedly puts you at an advantage in terms of legal knowledge.
take advantage of sth

› to use your skills, resources, etc. or a particular situation in order to get an opportunity for yourself:

Have you taken full advantage of any tax-free savings plans?
be to sb's advantage also work to sb's advantage

› to give a person or organization an advantage compared to other people or organizations:

The bank thought e-commerce could work to its advantage because these markets tended to be highly protected by regulation.
use sth to your (own) advantage

› to use your skills, resources, etc. to get an opportunity for yourself:

She had some important contacts in the government, which she used to her advantage.

(Definition of “advantage” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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