Meaning of advantage In English

• 0 a condition giving a greater chance of success:

  • The advantage of booking tickets in advance is that you get better seats.

  • Despite the twin advantages of wealth and beauty, she did not have a happy life.

  • [ + to infinitive ] It would be to your advantage (= it would improve the situation for you) to agree to his demands.

  • For a goalkeeper, it's a great advantage to have big hands.

  • His height and reach give him a big advantage over (= make him better than) other boxers.

  • UK formal "Do you know how old I am?" "I'm afraid you have the advantage of me there (= you know the answer but I do not)."

  • I thought I'd take advantage of the sports facilities while I'm here.

  • I think she takes advantage of his good nature.

  • I know she's offered to babysit, but I don't want her to think we're taking advantage of her.

  • Advantage Miss Williams!

  • The ref should have played advantage because Rooney would have been through on goal.

• 1 a condition that helps you or gives you a greater chance of success:

  • [ C ] His long arms give him a big advantage over other boxers.

  • [ U ] Test scores show no advantage for students in the new schools.

  • [ U ] Her teacher likes her very much, which works to her advantage (= helps her) if she has trouble in class.

• 2 a good feature that makes something better than similar things:

  • have/get/gain an advantage Smaller businesses often have an advantage in the area of customer relations.

  • advantage over sb Neither company appears to have a particular technological advantage over the other.

  • advantage for sb There are advantages for both employers and employees in flexible working hours.

  • the advantages of sth What are the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing?

  • the advantages of doing sth Some firms may find that the advantages of using free software outweigh the disadvantages.

  • The British ferry operator complained that its French rivals had an unfair advantage because of government aid.

  • a big/huge/major advantage Online advertising can have some major advantages.

  • a great/important/significant advantage Foreign domestic investment brings important advantages through new technologies and enhanced access to overseas markets.

  • a clear/definite/distinct advantage There can be distinct advantages in having a dominant individual presence in the boardroom.

• 3 in a more powerful or successful position than other people or things:

  • With the dollar weakening, US exporters will be at an advantage.

  • Your experience as a legal secretary undoubtedly puts you at an advantage in terms of legal knowledge.

• 4 to use your skills, resources, etc. or a particular situation in order to get an opportunity for yourself:

  • Have you taken full advantage of any tax-free savings plans?

• 5 to give a person or organization an advantage compared to other people or organizations:

  • The bank thought e-commerce could work to its advantage because these markets tended to be highly protected by regulation.

• 6 to use your skills, resources, etc. to get an opportunity for yourself:

  • She had some important contacts in the government, which she used to her advantage.