different between damage vs disadvantage

English

Etymology

From Middle English damage, from Old French damage (Modern French dommage), from Vulgar Latin *damnaticum from Classical Latin damnum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dæm?d?/
• Rhymes: -æm?d?
• Hyphenation: dam?age

Noun

damage (countable and uncountable, plural damages)

1. Injury or harm; the condition or measure of something not being intact.

   The storm did a lot of damage to the area.

   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Friendship

     Great errors and absurdities many {{..}}commit for want of a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage both of their fame and fortune.

2. (slang) Cost or expense.

   "What's the damage?" he asked the waiter.

Usage notes

Currently it is only used as an uncountable noun, except in the plural. There are few examples of countable (singular) use.

Related terms

• damn
• indemnity

Translations

Verb

damage (third-person singular simple present damages, present participle damaging, simple past and past participle damaged)

1. (transitive) To impair the soundness, goodness, or value of; to harm or cause destruction.

   Be careful not to damage any of the fragile items while unpacking them.

   Cold temperatures, heavy rain, falling rocks, strong winds and glacier movement can damage the equipment.

   • 1774, Edward Long, The History of Jamaica. Or, General Survey of the Antient and Modern State of that Island, volume 2, book 2, chapter 7, 5:

     The building was erected in two years, at the parochial expence, on the foundation of the former one, which was irreparably damaged by the hurricane of Augu?t, 1712.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To undergo damage.

Derived terms

• undamaged

Translations

References

Middle English

Alternative forms

• dampnage, dammage, domage, damege

Etymology

From Old French damage, from Vulgar Latin *damnaticum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dam?a?d?(?)/, /d?m?a?d?(?)/, /?damad?(?)/

Noun

damage (plural damages)

1. damage, harm, injury
2. loss (of reputation, etc.)
3. (rare) disability, weakness
4. (law, often in the plural) damages (compensation for loss)

Related terms

• damagen

Descendants

• English: damage
• Scots: dammish

References

• “dam??e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *damnaticum from Classical Latin damnum. Cognate with Old Occitan damnatge.

Noun

damage m (oblique plural damages, nominative singular damages, nominative plural damage)

1. damage
2. injury, hurt, insult

Related terms

• damagier

Descendants

• French: dommage
• Norman: dommage
• ? Middle English: damage, dampnage, dammage, domage, damege
  • English: damage
  • Scots: dammish
• ? Irish: damáiste
• ? Sicilian: damaggiu

English

Alternative forms

• disadvauntage (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English disavauntage, from Old French desavantage.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: d?s'?d-vän't?j, IPA^(key): /?d?s?d?v??nt?d?/
• (General American) enPR: d?s'?d-v?n't?j, IPA^(key): /?d?s?d?vænt?d?/

Noun

disadvantage (plural disadvantages)

1. A weakness or undesirable characteristic; a con.
2. A setback or handicap.

   My height is a disadvantage for reaching high shelves.

   • 1774, Edmund Burke, speech to the electors of Bristol

     I was brought hither under the disadvantage of being unknown, even by sight, to any of you.

   • 1859-1890, John G. Palfrey, History of New England to the Revolutionary War

     Abandoned by their great patron, the faction henceforward acted at disadvantage.

3. Loss; detriment; hindrance.
   • 1834-1874, George Bancroft, History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent.

     They would throw a construction on his conduct, to his disadvantage before the public.

Synonyms

• (an undesirable characteristic): afterdeal, con, drawback, malefit, downside
• (a handicap): afterdeal, weakness

Antonyms

• advantage

Translations

Verb

disadvantage (third-person singular simple present disadvantages, present participle disadvantaging, simple past and past participle disadvantaged)

1. (transitive) To place at a disadvantage.

   They fear it might disadvantage honest participants to allow automated entries.

   • 2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, "London Is Special, but Not That Special," New York Times (retrieved 28 September 2013):

     For London to have its own exclusive immigration policy would exacerbate the sense that immigration benefits only certain groups and disadvantages the rest. It would entrench the gap between London and the rest of the nation. And it would widen the breach between the public and the elite that has helped fuel anti-immigrant hostility.

Synonyms

• tell against

Derived terms

• disadvantageous
• disadvantageously
• disadvantageousness