noun / verb
disadvantage
dis-ud-VAN-tij/dˌɪsʌdvˈæntɪdʒ/
A condition that reduces chances of success, or placing someone in that condition.
The runner's bulky walking cast puts her at a disadvantage beside the others.
Etymology
The prefix reverses the idea of profit or superiority. The word first described loss or injury to someone's interests, then came to name a condition that makes success harder.
In context
you have the disadvantage that change can be very difficult for example leadership successions where you pass on the baton from one generation to the next can be very challenging
More examples
- One disadvantage of this apartment is its distance from public transportation.
- The new rules disadvantage smaller teams with limited budgets.
- Students without reliable internet access are disadvantaged by online-only classes.
Forms
disadvantage · disadvantages · disadvantaged · disadvantaging
disadvantageous adjective — Making success harder or less likely.
Similar words
- drawback
- A negative feature, not necessarily an unequal competitive position.
- handicap
- Emphasizes a specific limitation that makes competing or succeeding harder.