detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt How to pronounce detriment (audio)
1
: injury, damage
did hard work without detriment to his health
2
: a cause of injury or damage
a detriment to progress

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its pace is slow — occasionally, but rarely, to its detriment — but this clearly deliberate tempo gives you the chance to shoulder the burdens of its oppressive atmosphere and settle into its many puzzles, which regularly trade logic for personal interpretation, and occasionally just vibes. Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Put a different way, Charlie Sheen has often lost the thread of what a talented actor Charlie Sheen once was and aka Charlie Sheen loses track of that reality as well, to the documentary’s detriment as a rounded portrait. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025 Both are corrected automatically when using your camera for JPG images or video without any detriment to photos. PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025 The current trajectory risks a split that would be difficult to mend, to the great detriment of both countries. Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for detriment

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of detriment was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detriment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detriment. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

detriment

noun
det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt How to pronounce detriment (audio)
: injury or damage or its cause

Legal Definition

detriment

noun
det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt How to pronounce detriment (audio)
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 adjective
detrimentally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on detriment

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