disadvantage

The word disadvantage is often used in the following phrases:

Example Sentences:

To one’s disadvantage (= work to one’s disadvantage)

At a disadvantage

Here are example sentences for the first sentence pattern:

Example Sentences:

The new tariff policy will place my company at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace.

His lack of formal education puts him at a clear disadvantage in the business world.

Notice ‘competitive’ is often used when the subject is related to the business world.

Alright! So how do we use the phrase ‘at a disadvantage’? The phrase ‘at a disadvantage’ can be used in the following sentence patterns:

Example Sentences:

____ (someone or something) is at a disadvantage.

_____ (something) puts/places ____ (someone or something) at a disadvantage.

The definition of the noun "disadvantage" reads as follows: A disadvantage is a quality or condition that puts something or someone in an unfavorable or inferior position compared to others.

We often use “disadvantage” to talk about the shortcoming of a thing or a person. For instance, the following three sentences use disadvantage to describe a shortcoming of living in the countryside:

Example Sentences:

One of the disadvantages of living in the countryside is the poor quality of education.

One disadvantage of living in the countryside is the poor quality of education.

The disadvantage of living in the countryside is the poor quality of education.

The phrase “at a disadvantage” means being in an unfavorable position in comparison to others. We often use adjectives like ‘competitive’, ‘clear’ and ‘distinct’ before the word "disadvantage". For example,

Example Sentences:

At a competitive disadvantage

At a distinct disadvantage

At a clear disadvantage

And, here are example sentences for the second sentence pattern:

Example Sentences:

Children from poor families are at a distinct disadvantage in education.

You'll be at a disadvantage playing tennis against someone as skilled as Jimmy.

To make it easier, we often paraphrase here and simply say:

Example Sentences:

Living in the countryside has many disadvantages.

___ (something) is to ___(one’s) disadvantage = ___ (something) works to ___(one’s) disadvantage = ___ (something) puts ___(someone) at a disadvantage

Here are examples

Example Sentences:

My lack of formal education is to my disadvantage in the business world.

I hope my lack of experience won't be to my disadvantage.

It is to your disadvantage to not take this opportunity.

The new tariff policy will work to our disadvantage.

However, only if disadvantage is used in the very beginning of a sentence we say ‘disadvantage of something’. When using expletive constructions like “There is/are” it would sound wrong or unnatural to say “There are many disadvantages of living in the countryside. Many students make this mistake. Here you should use the prepositions in/to as in the following two sentences:

Example Sentences:

There are many disadvantages in living in the countryside.

There are many disadvantages to living in the countryside.