dis·ad·van·tage 
/ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪʤ/ noun
plural dis·ad·van·tag·es /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪʤ/ noun 1 [count] a : something that causes difficulty : something that makes someone or something worse or less likely to succeed than others
▪ This program has the disadvantage [=shortcoming] of being more expensive than the others. ▪ She had the disadvantage of growing up in a poor community. ▪ He felt that his lack of formal education put/placed him at a disadvantage [=made it harder for him to succeed] in the business world. ▪ They argued that the new regulations would place their company at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace.
b : a bad or undesirable quality or feature
▪ There are advantages and disadvantages to the new system. 2 [noncount] : loss, damage, or harm
▪ The deal worked to our disadvantage. [=the deal was harmful to us in some way] — opposite advantage
▪ This program has the disadvantage [=shortcoming] of being more expensive than the others. ▪ She had the disadvantage of growing up in a poor community. ▪ He felt that his lack of formal education put/placed him at a disadvantage [=made it harder for him to succeed] in the business world. ▪ They argued that the new regulations would place their company at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace.
b : a bad or undesirable quality or feature
▪ There are advantages and disadvantages to the new system.
▪ The deal worked to our disadvantage. [=the deal was harmful to us in some way] — opposite advantage
