advantage

have the advantage of, to be in a superior or advantageous position; possess an advantage over: By virtue of independent wealth, he has the advantage of his opponents.

10.

take advantage of,

to make use of for gain: to take advantage of an opportunity.

to impose upon, especially unfairly, as by exploiting a weakness: to take advantage of someone.

11.

to advantage, to good effect; advantageously: The paintings were arranged to advantage on one wall.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English ava(u)ntage < Anglo-French, Old French avantage, equivalent to avant before (see advance) + -age -age; for ad- see advance

Synonyms
2. Advantage, benefit, profit all mean something that is of use or value. Advantage is anything that places one in an improved position, especially in coping with competition or difficulties: It is to one's advantage to have traveled widely. Benefit is anything that promotes the welfare or improves the state of a person or group: a benefit to society. Profit is any valuable, useful, or helpful gain: profit from trade or experience. 6. serve, avail, help, aid.

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World English Dictionary

advantage (ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ)

—n (often foll by over or of)
1.	superior or more favourable position or power: he had an advantage over me because of his experience
2.	benefit or profit (esp in the phrase to one's advantage)
3.	tennis
	a. the point scored after deuce
	b. the resulting state of the score
4.	take advantage of
	a. to make good use of
	b. to impose upon the weakness, good nature, etc, of; abuse
	c. to seduce
5.	to advantage to good effect: he used his height to advantage at the game
6.	you have the advantage of me you know me but I do not know you

[C14: avantage (later altered to advantage on the model of words beginning with Latin ad-), from Old French avant before, from Latin abante from before, away. See advance]

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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

advantage

early 14c., "position of being in advance of another," from O.Fr. avantage, from avant "before," probably via an unrecorded L.L. *abantaticum, from L. abante (see advance). The -d- is a 16c. intrusion on the analogy of Latin ad- words. Meaning "a favoring circumstance" (the

opposite of disadvantage) is from late 15c. Tennis score sense is from 1640s, first recorded in writings of John Milton, of all people. Phrase to take advantage of is first attested late 14c.

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

advantage

see get the advantage of; show to advantage; take advantage of; to advantage.