HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
n. 1. An unfavorable condition or position: students who are at a disadvantage because they don't own computers. 2. Something that places one in an unfavorable condition or position: A disadvantage to living there is that you'd have no access to public transportation. 3. Damage or loss, especially to reputation or finances; detriment: High gasoline prices have worked to the company's disadvantage. tr.v. dis·ad·van·taged, dis·ad·van·tag·ing, dis·ad·van·tag·es To put at a disadvantage; hinder or harm. [Middle English disavauntage, from Old French desavantage : des-, dis- + avantage, advantage; see ADVANTAGE.] Synonyms: disadvantage, detriment, drawback, handicap These nouns denote a condition, circumstance, or characteristic unfavorable to success: Poor health is a disadvantage to athletes. The lack of a parking lot has been a detriment to the museum. Every job has its drawbacks. Illiteracy is a serious handicap in life. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
