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any state, circumstance, opportunity, or means specially favorable to success, interest, or any desired end:
the advantage of a good education.
benefit; gain; profit:
It will be to his advantage to learn Chinese before going to China.
superiority or ascendancy (often followed by over or of):
His height gave him an advantage over his opponent.
a position of superiority (often followed by over or of):
their advantage in experienced players.
Tennis. the first point scored after deuce.
to be of service to; yield profit or gain to; benefit.
to cause to advance; further; promote:
Such action will advantage our cause.
to prove beneficial to; profit:
It would advantage him to work harder.
have the advantage of, to be in a superior or advantageous position; possess an advantage over:
By virtue of independent wealth, he has the advantage of his opponents.
take advantage of,

to make use of for gain:
to take advantage of an opportunity.
to impose upon, especially unfairly, as by exploiting a weakness:
to take advantage of someone.

to advantage, to good effect; advantageously:
The paintings were arranged to advantage on one wall.
Contemporary Examples

A WashPost/ABC News poll actually gives Romney a 45-42 advantage over Obama.
Medicare: Huge Democratic Problem Michael Tomasky August 27, 2012

In other words, being a lawyer gives you no advantage over anyone else in getting the answer to this question right.
Should Judges Rule on Gay Marriage? Paul Campos August 6, 2010

Right now, Obama has the advantage over Romney on this issue.
Gay Marriage: Obama Still Should Stay in the Closet Michael Tomasky May 6, 2012

We have an advantage over companies like Marvel,” he says, “because we can move and react very quickly.
Lena Dunham and the Renaissance of Archie Andrews (He’s Not Dead Yet) Hugh Ryan April 8, 2014

Barack Obama won a comfortable victory in 2008, with an 8-point advantage over John McCain.
Obama vs. Romney: It’s Up for Grabs Doug Schoen, Jessica Tarlov September 3, 2012

Historical Examples

In this department of literature, without doing a great deal, we had perhaps rather the advantage over our neighbours.
Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries, Vol. 1 Henry Hallam

But he had this advantage over them, that his intellect was above their average.
The Historical Nights’ Entertainment Rafael Sabatini

My Japanese garden has this advantage over the others, that it is independent of the seasons.
If I May A. A. Milne

Indeed, in some respects, it had rather the advantage over the dear island.
The Daltons, Volume II (of II) Charles James Lever

But the guns there, well-sheltered and having every advantage over rocking steamers, maintained an accurate and deadly fire.
The Rock of Chickamauga Joseph A. Altsheler

noun
often foll by over or of. superior or more favourable position or power: he had an advantage over me because of his experience
benefit or profit (esp in the phrase to one’s advantage)
(tennis)

the point scored after deuce
the resulting state of the score

take advantage of

to make good use of
to impose upon the weakness, good nature, etc, of; abuse
to seduce

to advantage, to good effect: he used his height to advantage at the game
you have the advantage of me, you know me but I do not know you
n.

early 14c., avantage, “position of being in advance of another,” from Old French avantage “advantage, profit, superiority,” from avant “before,” probably via an unrecorded Late Latin *abantaticum, from Latin abante (see advance).

The -d- is a 16c. intrusion on the analogy of Latin ad- words. Meaning “a favoring circumstance” (the opposite of disadvantage) is from late 15c. Tennis score sense is from 1640s, first recorded in writings of John Milton, of all people. Phrase to take advantage of is first attested late 14c.

Related Terms

home-court advantage
see:

get the advantage of
show to advantage
take advantage of
to advantage