advantage

Etymology

From Middle English avantage, avauntage, from Old French avantage, from avant (“before”), from Late Latin ab ante. The spelling with d was a mistake, a- being supposed to be from Latin ad (see advance). For sense development, compare foredeal.

noun

1. (countable) Any condition, circumstance, opportunity or means, particularly favorable or chance to success, or to any desired end.
   The enemy had the advantage of a more elevated position.
   In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way. 2013-06-07, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6
2. (obsolete) Superiority; mastery; — used with of to specify its nature or with over to specify the other party.
3. (countable, uncountable) Superiority of state, or that which gives it; benefit; gain; profit
   the advantage of a good constitution
   Having the faster car is of little advantage.
4. (tennis) The score where one player wins a point after deuce but needs the next to carry the game.
5. (soccer) The continuation of the game after a foul against the attacking team, because the attacking team are in an advantageous position.
   Webb played an advantage that enabled Cazorla to supply a low cross from the left for Giroud to sweep home first time, despite Gallas and Vertonghen being in close attendance. 2012-11-17, “Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport
6. Interest of money; increase; overplus (as the thirteenth in the baker's dozen).

verb

1. (transitive) to provide (someone) with an advantage, to give an edge to
   I had almoſt forgotten to acquaint your honor, that one major Alford (who was in mr. Love's conſpiracy) was of the graund inqueſt at Saliſbury, and was very zealous in his highneſſe ſervice here, and his good affection and wiſe carriage here, did much advantage the buſſineſe. 21 April 1655, “Mr. Ja. Nutley to ſecreary Thurloe.”, in A Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, Eſq;[…], volume III, London: […] the Executor of the late Mr. Fletcher Gyles; Thomas Woodward,[…] Charles Davis,[…], published 1742, page 399
2. (reflexive) to do something for one's own benefit; to take advantage of