detriment
C1Formal
Definition
Meaning
The state of being harmed or damaged; a cause of harm or damage.
Loss, disadvantage, or negative consequence resulting from an action or situation. Often implies that a particular factor is responsible for causing harm, especially in contexts where a trade-off is involved.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in formal or official contexts. The core construction is 'to the detriment of' or 'without detriment to', framing something as causing or not causing harm to something else. The word itself is the 'harm' or the 'cause of the harm'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or grammatical usage. Both use the same core constructions ('to the detriment of').
Connotations
Equally formal in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English in formal writing, but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] to the detriment of [NP]without detriment to [NP][NP] acted to the detriment of [NP]cause detriment to [NP]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to the detriment of someone/something”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in reports and analyses: 'The merger proceeded to the detriment of smaller suppliers.'
Academic
Common in social sciences and law: 'The policy was implemented without detriment to the control group.'
Everyday
Rare in casual speech. Might appear in news or formal discussions: 'He worked long hours to the detriment of his health.'
Technical
Used in legal and medical texts to indicate harm or negative impact in a precise, formal way.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- No standard verb form. Use 'harm', 'damage', or 'be detrimental to'.
American English
- No standard verb form. Use 'harm', 'damage', or 'be detrimental to'.
adverb
British English
- The decision affected the team detrimentally.
- He acted detrimentally to his own interests.
American English
- The law impacted small businesses detrimentally.
- The change worked detrimentally against us.
adjective
British English
- The policy had a detrimental effect on communities.
- Smoking is detrimental to your health.
American English
- The policy had a detrimental impact on communities.
- The chemicals are detrimental to the environment.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Too much sugar is bad for your health.
- Working too much can harm your family life.
- The company focused on profits, which damaged employee morale.
- He ignored advice to his own disadvantage.
- The new regulations were enforced to the detriment of innovation.
- She continued working without detriment to her recovery.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of DETRIMENT as DE-TERRIFY-MENT? No, that's not right. Better: DETRI(t) sounds like 'debt' + MENT. A debt can cause you harm or loss. Or: DETRACT (take away) + MENT = DETRIMENT (something that takes away from your well-being).
Conceptual Metaphor
HARM IS A SUBSTANCE/ENTITY (e.g., 'cause detriment', 'suffer detriment'), A NEGATIVE TRADE-OFF (e.g., 'X was achieved to the detriment of Y').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'детримент' (a non-existent cognate).
- Do not confuse with 'ущерб' (damage/loss) in all contexts; 'detriment' is often more abstract, relating to disadvantage.
- The phrase 'to the detriment of' is a fixed structure; do not paraphrase it loosely.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'It detriments health' – incorrect; use 'harms' or 'is detrimental to').
- Using it in overly casual contexts where 'harm' or 'disadvantage' would be more natural.
- Incorrect preposition: 'for the detriment of' (should be 'to the detriment of').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'detriment' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a formal word (C1 level). In everyday speech, people more commonly use 'harm', 'damage', or 'disadvantage'.
No. 'Detriment' is only a noun. The related adjective is 'detrimental', and the adverb is 'detrimentally'. For a verb, use 'harm', 'damage', or 'impair'.
'Detriment' strongly implies actual harm or loss that has been caused. 'Disadvantage' is broader, often referring to an unfavorable condition or circumstance that may not yet have caused harm. 'Detriment' is also more formal.
It is a fixed prepositional phrase. Use it to show that Action/Thing A is causing harm to Thing B. Structure: '[Action/Situation] to the detriment of [What is being harmed].' Example: 'He neglected his studies to the detriment of his grades.'
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