detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

1

: injury, damage

did hard work without detriment to his health

2

: a cause of injury or damage

a detriment to progress

Synonyms

• affliction
• damage
• harm
• hurt
• injury

Examples of detriment in a Sentence

opponents of casino gambling claim that it is a detriment to society at large

the requirement that runners wear shoes for the race worked to his detriment since he was used to running barefoot

Recent Examples on the Web

Attempting to value some version of control, the players continue to push hard to make big and flashy moves, often just for the sake of making moves or even to their own detriment. —Nic Juarez, Vulture, 4 June 2024

All the backbiting and dissent due to certain egomaniacs who take the job to call attention to themselves have been a detriment to our society. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2024

And that, Netanyahu calculates, is sufficient to shift the balance of power in the region to Israel’s detriment, reducing the Jewish state’s maneuverability and the usefulness of its own deterrent. —Trita Parsi, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2013

Exit opportunities are critical to the promise of American innovation, and neglecting them will be to our collective detriment. —Eric Hippeau, Fortune, 28 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin detrimentum, from deterere to wear away, impair, from de- + terere to rub — more at throw entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing detriment

• to one's detriment
• to the detriment of
• without detriment to

Kids Definition

detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

: injury or damage or its cause

Legal Definition

detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

1

: injury, loss

also : the cause of an injury or loss

2

: a giving up of a thing or mode of conduct to which one is entitled that constitutes consideration for a contract

called also legal detriment

detrimental

ˌde-trə-ˈmen-təl 

adjective

detrimentally adverb