Forms: 4–6 avauntage, avantage (Sc. awawntage, awantage); 6– advantage. [a. Fr. avantage, f. avant forward + -AGE; the cognate Romance forms point to the word as already formed in late L. as abantāticum. The occasional MFr. corrupt spelling a(d)vantage, as if from L. ad-, has been permanently adopted in Eng.; see ADVANCE. The original survives in the aphetic form ’vantage, vantage.]
I. Superior position.
1. The position, state or circumstance of being in advance or ahead of another, or having the better of him in any respect; superior or better position; precedence, superiority, esp. in contest or debate.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 314. The auantage set so hie That thou may gyue with right, whan thou wille & how.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 219. And whan they wiste their avauntage, They fell anone unto the chace.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froissart, I. cxciv. 230. Ther they had a great aduantage.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 19. What rescue hath the dry stubble against the advantage of fire.
1692. Ray, Disc., iii. (1732), 32. The Advantage or Height of all the dry Land.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 177, ¶ 3. When the smallest advantage was gained against me in dispute.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. 63. The Gauls maintained their advantage.
1810. Coleridge, Friend (1865), 20. The advantage given to the opponents of Christianity.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 115. When the war had lasted a year, the advantage was decidedly with the Royalists.
b. To have, gain, get, give advantage of, over (on obs.): superiority over. Also techn. To have the advantage of (a person): To have a personal knowledge that is not reciprocal.
1561. Becon, Sick Man’s Salve (1844), 146. Let his enemy the devil have none avantage of him.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonnets, lxiv. 6. I have seen the hungry ocean gain Advantage on the kingdom of the shore.
1603. Greenwey, Tacitus, XII. viii. (1622), 164. In skilfulnesse of the countrey [Caractacus] hauing the aduantage on vs.
1611. Bible, 2 Cor. ii. 11. Lest Satan should get an aduantage of vs.
1700. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), IV. 794. The Swedes have had an advantage against the Muscovites.
1775. Sheridan, Rivals, V. II. (1873), 94. You have the advantage of me, I don’t remember ever to have had the honour.
1813. Miss Austen, Pride & Prej., ii. 4. You may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.
1869. J. Martineau, Ess., II. 115. Unbelief has no advantage over belief.
† c. To be at, upon, advantage: in a favorable position. Oòs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 288. We sall be at awantage thar.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. xi. 112. Thou … Walkys at auantage on the wod grene.
1656. in Burton’s Diary (1828), I. 89. Some had dined and were upon an advantage.
† d. With poss. pron. At my, his, etc., advantage: In a position where one has the advantage or superiority. Obs. Cf. ABOVE C. 2.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 66. Sua that we Sall ay at our avantage be.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 44. Loke who that is most pacient in love, He is at his avantage al above.
c. 1430. Hymns to Virg. (1867), 81. Whanne age haþ us at his auauntage.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 77 b. That they sholde slee him if they founde him at their auantage.
2. In Tennis, when the two sides have gained the equal number of points or games known as DEUCE, the next point or game is reckoned as advantage or vantage (i.e., temporary superiority) to the side winning it. Hence attrib. in advantage game, set. Also fig.
c. 1641. Milton, Reform., I. Wks. 1847, 10. For if the Scripture be for reformation, and antiquity to boot, it is but an advantage to the dozen, it is no winning cast.
1875. H. H. Gibbs (Note) In matches, advantage sets are played; and then, when the players are at say ‘5 games all,’ either must win two games running in order to win the set.
1882. Daily Tel., 10 July, 2/7. The first was an advantage sett, and in playing off Lawford won by 4 to 2.
† 3. A place of vantage; esp. a rising ground, an elevation; = VANTAGE-GROUND. Obs. See III.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of L. T., 48. Such place as thought hem avauntage For here entent.
c. 1425. Wyntown, Cron., VIII. xxxvi. 53. Had he noucht fowndyn in mare hy Ane Awawntage, he had bene dede.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 412. Shimei … holding himselfe upon the advantage of a mountain-side.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., xvi. (1821), 387. A Platforme was made upon a ground of advantage (not farre from the Campe).
1639. Fuller, Holy War, III. xxvii. (1840), 166. Egypt is a low level country, except some few advantages which the Egyptians had fortified for themselves.
1663. Blair, Autobiog., vii. (1848), 96. Upon this rebuke I drew my horse to an advantage.
† 4. A time of vantage, a favorable occasion, an opportunity, a ‘chance.’ Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of L. T., 118. They cannot seen in that non avantage Ne in non other way, save mariage.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XV. 7051. But wirdis, þat is wicked, waitis hir avauntage.
1561. T. N[orton], Calvin’s Instit., IV. 137. He was compelled to watch an aduauntage to take his iourney.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 129. Make use of time, let not advantage slip.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. 5. [They] lie at catch, and wait advantages one against another.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 258. Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find His wish and best advantage, us asunder.
5. A favoring circumstance; anything that gives one the superiority or tends to improve one’s position. (The opposite is disadvantage.)
1483. Caxton, Cato, C ij. Euery man kepeth and loueth better that which he acquireth wyth payn … thenne that whych cometh of auauntage.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. iii. 42. Ile vse th’ aduantage of my Power.
1607. Topsell, Four-footed Beasts (1673), 550. [He] compareth the wrath of Perseus standing betwixt two advantages unto a Tiger betwixt two preys.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. 121. This petition, though presented with all advantage, found no other entertainment than delays.
c. 1660. Narr. late Parlt., in Sel. Harl. Misc. (1793), 406. What company of foot, and other advantages, it is not certainly known.
1716–8. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., I. xviii. 57. He needs not the advantage of his rank to appear charming.
1874. Reynolds, John Bapt., i. § 1. 12. He was himself possessed of all their advantages, while he is placed on a vantage-ground above them.
b. To take (the obs.) advantage of (by, at obs.), to make one’s advantage of, a thing: To use any favorable condition that it yields; to avail oneself of. Often in a bad sense: To seize an accidental or unintended opportunity of profiting, to overreach (a person).
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 322. He, that by her body wolde Take avauntage.
1598. Shaks., Merry Wives, III. iii. 116. To take an ill aduantage of his absence.
1618. Donne, Serm., cxliii. V. 851. Laban … made advantages upon him, deluded him.
1620. Sanderson, Serm., Ad Pop. II. v. 155. He doth arripere ansam, take all advantage as it were, and lay hold on every occasion to do that. Ibid. (1657), (1674), Pref. § 10. The Papists make a great advantage of these home-differences.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 16. You may see them sometimes, if you happily take the advantage.
1705. Addison, Italy, 6. Taking the Advantage of a Side-wind.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. IV. iii. 95. Inclined to make their advantage of his necessities.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., III. xii. 251. Here was material enough for the craft of William to take advantage of.
c. To take any one at (upon, on obs.) advantage: when the circumstances favor the taker, as by surprise, stratagem, etc.; to surprise. To play upon advantage (obs.): to cheat.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froissart, I. xviii. 24. They wold haue ben slayn, or taken at auauntage.
1592. Warner, Albion’s Eng., VII. xxxvi. (1612), 174. Howbeit, on aduantage plai’d Gynetta all this while.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 430. The griping Nimrods of the world reioyce in their taking men vpon aduantages.
1656. Bp. Hall, Occas. Medit. (1851), 17. It were woe with any of us all, if God should take us at advantages.
1668. Sedley, Mulb. Garden, II. ii. (1766), 63. Your only way is to turn rook and play upon advantage.
1826. Southey, in Q. Rev., XXXIV. 330. Once it happened that the enemy took him at advantage.
II. The result of a superior or better position.
6. Benefit; enhancement, improvement; increased well-being or convenience; resulting benefit. To one’s advantage: to one’s benefit, beneficial to one.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 1012. Þat world was made to our most avantage.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 194. So can I see none avauntage, But all is lost, if she abide.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 143. Wisemen … semblably do auantage to other.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. i. 27. Those blessed feet, Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail’d, For our aduantage, on the bitter Crosse.
1667. Milton, P. L., XII. 510. Who all the sacred mysteries of Heaven To their own vile advantages shall turn Of lucre and ambition.
1772. Junius Lett., lxviii. 337. You shall have all the advantage of his opinion.
1843. Miall, Nonconf., III. 209. Tahiti cannot be colonised with advantage.
1832. Daily News, 3 Nov., 1/2. If the Gentleman who travelled from Yeovil Junction … with a violin case, will send his address he will hear of something to his advantage.
b. To advantage: So as to increase or augment the effect of anything; advantageously, favorably.
1709. Pope, Ess. Critic., 297. True Wit is Nature to advantage dress’d.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls., I. 303. The atmosphere has a quality of showing objects to a better advantage.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 15. 100. To see the lower portion of this glacier to advantage.
Mod. That dress sets off her figure to advantage.
† 7. Pecuniary profit, gain; interest on money lent. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 46. The seale and therupon thymage Of Thebith for his avauntage He taketh.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, IV. xxxiii. (1483), 81. His rentes and revenues and suche other auantages.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxxiii. 10. There out sucke they no small auauntage.
1596. Shaks., Merch. Ven., I. iii. 71. You neither lend nor borrow Vpon aduantage.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. IV. vii. § 1. 280. Forcing them to restore the spoyles with aduantage.
1665. Manley, Grotius’s Low-Countrey-Warrs, 181. Another fleet … had fallen upon the Molucca Islands, bringing away great advantage.
† 8. Greater quantity or number, ‘more-ness’; amount or quantity over, additional amount, overplus, excess. To, of advantage (Fr. d’avantage, de plus): in addition, more. Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 209. Alle þise timliche þinges þou sselt habbe to auontage. Ibid., 210. God deþ him auontage of þe timliche guodes.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Bv. b. I saie further of aduauntage, that dyuers haue written of the tyme of the saide Marke Aureleo.
1570. Kanam, in Bury Wills (1850), 156. One blacke stered heckforde of the age of two yeres and the aduantage.
1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. iii. 84. As many to’ th’ vantage.
1612. Shelton, Quix., I. 15. 4 or 5 Sheets of Advantage at the end of the Book.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., I. xi. 29. She being a woman that in all her actions (to be sure to do enough) made always measure with advantage.
III. Comb. advantage-ground, a position that gives advantage or superiority to a combatant; now usually written vantage-ground.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., xxxiv. 73. He stands taller on his own bottom, than others on the advantage ground of fortune.
1659. Rushworth, Hist. Coll., I. 17. The Bohemians stood upon the advantage-ground betwixt the Imperialists and Prague.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Rebell., III. Ded. 10. On the advantage-ground of being established by the Laws.
☞ Phrase-key. At my, his a 1 d, be at a 1 c, gain, get, give a over 1 b, have a of 1 b, make a of 5 b, of a 8, play upon a 5 c, take a of 5 b, take at a 5 c, tennis a 2, to a 6 b, 8, to one’s a 6.
