ad·van·tage
əd-ˈvan-tij 
1
: superiority of position or condition
Higher ground gave the enemy the advantage.
2
: a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor
lacked the advantages of an education
3
a
: benefit, gain
especially
: benefit resulting from some course of action
a mistake which turned out to our advantage
see also take advantage of
b
obsolete
: interest sense 3a
4
: the first point won in tennis after deuce
advantaged; advantaging
: to give an advantage to : benefit
Government does not know how to strengthen all families, and no public policy avoids advantaging some families while implicitly asking others to wait in the queue.—
Martin Neil Baily
Martin Neil BailySynonyms
Examples of advantage in a Sentence
Noun
Higher ground gave the enemy the advantage.
He has an unfair advantage over us because of his wealth.
His plan has the advantage of being less expensive than other options.
He lacked the advantages of an advanced education.
Speed is an advantage in most sports.
The company's only advantage over the competition is its location.
Applicants for this job will find that previous experience is an advantage.
Being able to set your own schedule is one of the advantages of owning a business.
Among the advantages of a small college is its campus life.
There isn't any advantage in leaving early.
Verb
there's no question that that bicycle racer was significantly advantaged by a great set of genes
Recent Examples on the WebThuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
China spends more than three times what India does on its military, giving its forces a significant advantage across land, sea and air.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
After the Moon Alert is over, the Moon will move into your sign, which will give you an advantage over all the other signs.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2024
This variation is highly sought after among those who recognize both the health advantages associated with dark chocolate as well as its capacity to explore the potential psychological and physiological impacts of consuming magic shrooms.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The Biden campaign circulated a press release highlighting its cash advantage over Trump — and how entities backing Trump have spent tens of millions of dollars on his legal defense.
—Arden Farhi, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Always outnumbered, the Apaches used fighting skill and knowledge of the rugged terrain to their advantage, returning to the mountains that provided them with shelter and food.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The freshmen who made it to campus early will carry a significant advantage over others who join the roster in the summer and fall.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
As a result, operators have had to reinvent camouflage techniques, while the hackers who drive the evolution of their drones are working on every modification of RF equipment that offers an advantage.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2024
One of Strome’s goals came on the power play in the Ducks’ sixth multi-goal effort with the man advantage this season.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 12 Feb. 2024
Extremist demagogues take advantage of stagnant economic systems–systems that advantage the rich while enabling them to escape their civic duty–by channeling general frustration into popular support.
—Chuck Collins, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2024
If governance is to be judged by the opportunities offered to the least advantaged then this is an indictment on the management of the English game.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
If the Niners’ secondary — which should have a numbers advantage all game — hawks his throws, which have impressive power and accuracy given his poor throwing base, but can often sail, that’s a problem for the Packers.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024
The deal uptick reflects expectations, particularly in North America, that while oil and gas will continue to play a significant role in the energy mix for some time, cost and capital pressures will advantage bigger operators.
—Andrea Guerzoni, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
That one-two shuffle — wherein the motion picture industry gets rocked by a shock to the system, followed by an adaptation that not only meets the challenge but turns it to advantage — set a pattern for Hollywood’s crisis management forever after.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2023
The administration is forgoing a chance to lower tariffs and strengthen labor and environmental standards on imports, thereby directly advantaging China: in 2021, China applied for admission to the TPP in the United States’ place.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2023
Noun
Clark’s draft moment, no matter how delayed, exemplifies the advantages of the age requirement.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
China spends more than three times what India does on its military, giving its forces a significant advantage across land, sea and air.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
After the Moon Alert is over, the Moon will move into your sign, which will give you an advantage over all the other signs.
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2024
This variation is highly sought after among those who recognize both the health advantages associated with dark chocolate as well as its capacity to explore the potential psychological and physiological impacts of consuming magic shrooms.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The Biden campaign circulated a press release highlighting its cash advantage over Trump — and how entities backing Trump have spent tens of millions of dollars on his legal defense.
—Arden Farhi, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Always outnumbered, the Apaches used fighting skill and knowledge of the rugged terrain to their advantage, returning to the mountains that provided them with shelter and food.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The freshmen who made it to campus early will carry a significant advantage over others who join the roster in the summer and fall.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
As a result, operators have had to reinvent camouflage techniques, while the hackers who drive the evolution of their drones are working on every modification of RF equipment that offers an advantage.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
The basic takeaway is that these last four plans are all in the ballpark of partisan parity, measured by the number districts that advantage each party.
—Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2024
One of Strome’s goals came on the power play in the Ducks’ sixth multi-goal effort with the man advantage this season.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 12 Feb. 2024
Extremist demagogues take advantage of stagnant economic systems–systems that advantage the rich while enabling them to escape their civic duty–by channeling general frustration into popular support.
—Chuck Collins, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2024
If governance is to be judged by the opportunities offered to the least advantaged then this is an indictment on the management of the English game.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
If the Niners’ secondary — which should have a numbers advantage all game — hawks his throws, which have impressive power and accuracy given his poor throwing base, but can often sail, that’s a problem for the Packers.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024
The deal uptick reflects expectations, particularly in North America, that while oil and gas will continue to play a significant role in the energy mix for some time, cost and capital pressures will advantage bigger operators.
—Andrea Guerzoni, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
That one-two shuffle — wherein the motion picture industry gets rocked by a shock to the system, followed by an adaptation that not only meets the challenge but turns it to advantage — set a pattern for Hollywood’s crisis management forever after.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2023
The administration is forgoing a chance to lower tariffs and strengthen labor and environmental standards on imports, thereby directly advantaging China: in 2021, China applied for admission to the TPP in the United States’ place.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'advantage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near advantage
Cite this Entry
“Advantage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advantage. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share