advantage
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/
/ədˈvæntɪdʒ/
[countable, uncountable]Idioms - a thing that helps you to be better or more successful than other people
- a distinct/significant/huge advantage
- It gives you an unfair advantage (= something that benefits you, but not your opponents).
- She had the advantage of a good education.
- You will be at an advantage (= have an advantage) in the interview if you have thought about the questions in advance.
- advantage over somebody The company was able to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals by reducing costs.
- Being tall gave him an advantage over the other players.
Extra ExamplesTopics Successa2- Breastfeeding offers a clear advantage to your baby.
- companies seeking competitive advantage over their trading rivals
- He would gain considerable advantage from staying in that job.
- The commanders were anxious to press home their advantage with a further offensive in the north.
- The company has an unfair advantage over its competitors.
- The new design gives us a clear advantage over our competitors.
- the advantage to both countries of closer economic ties
- Having a degree is a huge advantage when it comes to getting a job.
- The bill will give US tuna processors a competitive advantage in the US tuna market.
- Their better training gave the French troops a decisive advantage.
- They took an early lead and held onto their advantage right to the end.
- With good cooperation we should be able to exploit this opportunity to our mutual advantage.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- considerable
- enormous
- …
- have
- gain
- get
- …
- to somebody’s advantage
- advantage in
- advantage over
- …
- to good advantage
- to somebody/something’s best advantage
- a quality of something that makes it better or more useful
- Each of these systems has its advantages and disadvantages.
- Continuous assessment offers clear advantages for teachers and students.
- advantage of (doing) something A small car has the added advantage of being cheaper to run.
- advantage in (doing) something Is there any advantage in getting there early?
- advantage to (doing) something There are many advantages to online shopping.
Extra Examples- the natural advantages of countries with low labour costs
- the natural advantages of a fertile soil
- They argue that the possible risks attached to such vaccines vastly outweigh any advantages.
- These computers have the added advantage of being cheap.
- There may be some advantage in laying down a clearer procedure.
- East coast resorts have the advantage over west coast ones.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- considerable
- enormous
- …
- have
- gain
- get
- …
- to somebody’s advantage
- advantage in
- advantage over
- …
- to good advantage
- to somebody/something’s best advantage
- [uncountable] (in tennis ) the first point scored after a score of 40–40
- Advantage Miss Stephens.
Word OriginMiddle 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.
Idioms
be/work to your advantage
- to give you an advantage; to change a situation in a way that gives you an advantage
- It would be to your advantage to attend this meeting.
- Eventually, the new regulations will work to our advantage.
Extra Examples- The plan would be to our mutual advantage.
- It is to your advantage to delay things for as long as possible.
take advantage of something/somebody
- to make use of something well; to make use of an opportunity
- She took advantage of the children's absence to tidy their rooms.
- We took full advantage of the hotel facilities.
- I took complete advantage of the situation.
- to make use of somebody/something in a way that is unfair or dishonest synonym exploit
- He took advantage of my generosity (= for example, by taking more than I had intended to give).
to (good/best) advantage
- in a way that shows the best of somebody/something
- The photograph showed him to advantage.
- May was the month to see the garden to best advantage.
- The bright lighting showed the jewels to their best advantage.
turn something to your advantage
- to use or change a bad situation so that it helps you
- Every magician has a trick that goes wrong, but you can turn this to your advantage by pretending it was deliberate and making the audience laugh.