detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

1

: injury, damage

did hard work without detriment to their health

He puts all his time into his career to the detriment of [= in a way that is harmful to] his personal life.

2

: a cause of injury or damage

a detriment to progress

Synonyms of detriment

• harm
• damage
• injury

Examples of detriment in a Sentence

opponents of casino gambling claim that it is a detriment to society at large

the requirement that runners wear shoes for the race worked to his detriment since he was used to running barefoot

Recent Examples on the Web

Angela’s grip on her vast (for San Francisco) vintage kingdom is tight, perhaps to the detriment of her relationship, and maybe even herself. — Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 26 June 2026

The deal contains a trade kicker that is likely a small detriment to using McCollum’s expiring salary in a trade. — Matt Schubert, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Putting the 30-year-old South Korean in the lineup at this juncture is a massive detriment to the team’s offense. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 19 June 2026

Jennifer Lopez plays the CEO of an airline who is hyper-focused on her career to the detriment of everything else. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin dētrīmentum "reduction in quantity, diminishment, harm, damage," from dētrī-, variant stem of dēterere "to wear away, rub off, lessen, impair" + -mentum -ment — more at detritus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing detriment

• to one's detriment
• without detriment to

Kids Definition

detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

: injury or damage or its cause

Legal Definition

detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

1

: injury, loss

also : the cause of an injury or loss

2

: a giving up of a thing or mode of conduct to which one is entitled that constitutes consideration for a contract

called also legal detriment

detrimental

ˌde-trə-ˈmen-təl 

adjective

detrimentally adverb