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n. 1. A beneficial factor or combination of factors: Being tall is usually an advantage in basketball. 2. Benefit or profit; gain: It is to your advantage to invest wisely. 3. A relatively favorable position; superiority of means: A better education gave us the advantage. 4. Sports a. The first point scored in tennis after deuce. b. The resulting score. 5. Sports A situation in soccer in which the referee has signaled that a foul has been committed but delays making the call because the fouled team has a more favorable position in play. If the fouled team loses this favorable position, the referee then makes the call. tr.v. ad·van·taged, ad·van·tag·ing, ad·van·tag·es Idioms: To afford profit or gain to; benefit. take advantage of 1. To put to good use; avail oneself of: take advantage of all educational opportunities. 2. To make use of for selfish reasons; achieve a selfish goal by exploiting: took advantage of him by leaving him with the bill; took advantage of his unsuspecting nature. 3. To seduce. to advantage To good effect; favorably: The roses were displayed to advantage in a blue vase. [Middle English avantage, from Old French, from avant, before, from Latin abante, from before; see ADVANCE.] |
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