Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “disadvantage” come from?

Disadvantage comes from Middle English disavauntage, from Old French desavantage, meaning an unfavorable circumstance or condition.

disadvantage (English): A weakness or undesirable characteristic; a con;...

Definitions

  1. A weakness or undesirable characteristic; a con;...

Ancestry of “disadvantage”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdisavauntage—
2Old Frenchdesavantage—

Words derived from “disadvantage”

  • disadvantageous
  • disadvantageously
  • disadvantageable
  • disadvantageousness
  • disadvantageth
Every word from Old French desavantage →