Word
detriment
Phoneticsdetri·ment
US/ˈdɛtɹəmənt/
UK/dˈɛtɹɪmənt/
Definitions
01harm or damage
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. harm, damage, or a loss that happens to something.
n. the state of being harmed or damaged; a cause of loss or injury.
Español:detrimento
“He worked long hours to the detriment of his health.”
“The company focused exclusively on short-term profits, ultimately to the detriment of its long-term research and development goals.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the fixed phrase 'to the detriment of [something/someone]'.
Synonyms
02astrology
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical
n. a special position of a planet that is thought to make its influence weaker.
n. the state of a planet when it is in the zodiac sign opposite the one it naturally rules, traditionally considered a weakening placement.
“In her birth chart, Venus is in detriment, which affects how she expresses affection.”
“Traditional astrologers argue that a planet in detriment lacks the essential dignity required to manifest its positive traits effectively.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Instead, as night terrors burst the banks into reality, debut director James Ross II concentrates on maintaining an appropriately scrambled and claustrophobic experience – perhaps to the detriment of the fear factor.” “Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of politicizing disasters, to the detriment of communities left in limbo.” Etymology
From Old French detriement, from Latin detrimentum (“loss, damage, literally a rubbing off”), from dēterere (“to rub off, wear”), from dē- (“down, away”) + terere (“to rub”). Detriment is related to the word detritus, and built on similar foundations to the word impediment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/detriment
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0