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

These two forces—students using AI to their detriment and colleges using it to their benefit—might seem to be in conflict. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Since his departure, fans on social media have accused Whittingham of being more of a detriment to the success of Utah than a driver of it. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Despite the scoreline, the result won’t be seen as a detriment for the Broncos come the final CFP rankings in December, assuming Oregon becomes one of the best teams in the nation. — Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2026

Judaism teaches that human beings are not inherently sinful, destructive or a detriment to the world. — Meir Moscowitz, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 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