From Middle English avantage, avauntage, from Old French avantage, from avant, from Late Latin ab ante.

• (British) IPA: /ədˈvɑːn.tɪd͡ʒ/
• (America) IPA: /ədˈvæn.(t)ɪd͡ʒ/

advantage

1. (countable) Any condition, circumstance, opportunity or means, particularly favorable or chance to success, or to any desired end.

   The enemy had the advantage of a more elevated position.

   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene i]:

     Give me advantage of some brief discourse.

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 45, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC ↗:

     the advantages of a close alliance

2. (obsolete) Superiority; mastery; — used with of to specify its nature or with over to specify the other party.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, 2 Corinthians 2:11 ↗:

     Lest Satan should get an advantage of us.

3. (countable, uncountable) Superiority of state, or that which gives it; benefit; gain; profit

   the advantage of a good constitution

   Having the faster car is of little advantage.

4. (tennis) The score where one player wins a point after deuce but needs the next to carry the game.
5. (soccer) The continuation of the game after a foul against the attacking team, because the attacking team are in an advantageous position.
6. Interest of money; increase; overplus (as the thirteenth in the baker's dozen).
   • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene iii]:

     And with advantage means to pay thy love.

• (favorable condition or position) edge, vantage
• (superiority of state, positive aspect) benefit, perk, upside, pro, foredeal
• (in tennis) ad

• disadvantage, drawback

• advance
• vantage

• French: avantage
• German: Vorteil
• Italian: vantaggio, beneficio
• Portuguese: vantagem, vantajoso
• Russian: преиму́щество
• Spanish: ventaja

• French: avantage
• German: Vorteil
• Portuguese: vantagem
• Russian: превосхо́дство
• Spanish: ventaja

• French: avantage
• German: Vorzug
• Portuguese: benefício
• Spanish: beneficio, provecho

• French: avantage
• German: Vorteil
• Portuguese: vantagem
• Spanish: ventaja

advantage (advantages, present participle advantaging; simple past and past participle advantaged)

1. (transitive) to provide (someone) with an advantage, to give an edge to [from 15th c.]
2. (reflexive) to do something for one's own benefit; to take advantage of [from 16th c.]
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 7, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC ↗:

     No man of courage vouchsafeth to advantage himselfe [translating s'avantager] of that which is common unto many.

• favor, favorise
• benefit

• French: avantager, favoriser