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

Genesis doesn’t do itself any justice with its vehicles’ simple names; with choice of G80 perhaps even a detriment to sales. —James Raia, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024

This time, being a big, burly lad is a detriment, especially given that Bananas barely comes up to his shoulders. —Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024

However, an overloaded menu can actually be a detriment to your business by: • Overwhelming and confusing customers, possibly giving the impression that your offerings are mediocre. —Shaun Lewis, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Most, like Asus and MSI, are relying on Windows, and that’s a detriment to the entire ecosystem. —Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 31 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin dētrīmentum "reduction in quantity, diminishment, harm, damage," from dētrī-, variant stem of dēterere "to wear away, rub off, lessen, impair" + -mentum -ment — more at detritus

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