disadvantage

• disadvauntage (obsolete)

From Middle English disavauntage, from Old French desavantage

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪsədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪdʒ/

disadvantage (plural disadvantages)

1. A weakness or undesirable characteristic; a con.

   The disadvantage to owning a food processor is that you have to store it somewhere.

2. A setback or handicap.

   My height is a disadvantage for reaching high shelves.

   • Burke

     I was brought here under the disadvantage of being unknown by sight to any of you.

   • Palfrey

     Abandoned by their great patron, the faction henceforward acted at disadvantage.

3. Loss; detriment; hindrance.
   • Bancroft

     They would throw a construction on his conduct, to his disadvantage before the public.

• (an undesirable characteristic): afterdeal, con, drawback, downside
• (a handicap): afterdeal, weakness

• advantage

disadvantage (third-person singular simple present disadvantages, present participle disadvantaging, simple past and past participle disadvantaged)

1. (transitive) To place at a disadvantage.

   They fear it might disadvantage honest participants to allow automated entries.

   • 2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, "London Is Special, but Not That Special," New York Times (retrieved 28 September 2013):

     For London to have its own exclusive immigration policy would exacerbate the sense that immigration benefits only certain groups and disadvantages the rest. It would entrench the gap between London and the rest of the nation. And it would widen the breach between the public and the elite that has helped fuel anti-immigrant hostility.

• tell against

• disadvantageous
• disadvantageously
• disadvantageousness