/ ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ; NAmE -ˈvæn-/ noun , verb
■ noun [ C , U ]
1.
advantage (over sb) a thing that helps you to be better or more successful than other people :
a big / great / definite advantage
Being tall gave him an advantage over the other players.
an unfair advantage (= sth that benefits you, but not your opponents)
She had the advantage of a good education.
Is there any advantage in getting there early?
You will be at an advantage (= have an advantage) if you have thought about the interview questions in advance.
OPP disadvantage
2.
a quality of sth that makes it better or more useful :
A small car has the added advantage of being cheaper to run.
the advantages of living in a small town
Each of these systems has its advantages and disadvantages.
OPP disadvantage
3.
( in tennis ) the first point scored after a score of 40–40 :
Advantage Roddick.
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IDIOMS
- be / work to your advantage
- take advantage of sth/sb
- to (good / best) advantage
- turn sth to your advantage
■ verb
[ vn ] ( formal ) to put sb in a better position than other people or than they were in before
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French avantage , from avant in front, from late Latin abante in front, from ab from + ante before. The initial a- was mistakenly assimilated to ad- in the 16th cent.