advantage

Universal Words noun, verb noun [C,U] 1 ~ (over sb) a thing that helps you to be better or more successful than other people: a big / great / definite advantage * Being tall gave him an advantage over the other players. * an unfair advantage (= sth that benefits you, but not your opponents) * She had the advantage of a good education. * Is there any advantage in getting there early? * You will be at an advantage (= have an advantage) if you have thought about the interview questions in advance. * companies seeking competitive advantage over their trading rivals 2 a quality of sth that makes it better or more useful: A small car has the added advantage of being cheaper to run. * the advantages of living in a small town * Each of these systems has its advantages and disadvantages. 3 (in tennis) the first point scored after a score of 4040: Advantage Henman. IDIOMS be / work to your advantage to give you an advantage; to change a situation in a way that gives you an advantage: It would be to your advantage to attend this meeting. * Eventually, the new regulations will work to our advantage. take advantage of sth/sb 1 to make use of sth well; to make use of an opportunity: We took full advantage of the hotel facilities. * She took advantage of the children's absence to tidy their rooms. 2 to make use of sb/sth in a way that is unfair or dishonest: He took advantage of my generosity (= for example, by taking more than I had intended to give). to (good / best) advantage in a way that shows the best of sth: The photograph showed him to advantage. * May was the month to see the garden to best advantage. turn sth to your advantage to use or change a bad situation so that it helps you: Every magician has a trick that goes wrong, but you can turn this to your advantage by pretending it was deliberate and making the audience laugh. verb [VN] (formal) to put sb in a better position than other people or than they were in before