\Ad*van"tage\ (?; 61, 48), n. [OE. avantage,
avauntage, F. avantage, fr. avant before. See {Advance}, and
cf. {Vantage}.]
1. Any condition, circumstance, opportunity, or means,
   particularly favorable to success, or to any desired end;
   benefit; as, the enemy had the advantage of a more
   elevated position.
         Give me advantage of some brief discourse. --Shak.
         The advantages of a close alliance.   --Macaulay.
2. Superiority; mastery; -- with of or over.
         Lest Satan should get an advantage of us. --2 Cor.
                                               ii. 11.
3. Superiority of state, or that which gives it; benefit;
   gain; profit; as, the advantage of a good constitution.
4. Interest of money; increase; overplus (as the thirteenth
   in the baker's dozen). [Obs.]
         And with advantage means to pay thy love. --Shak.
{Advantage ground}, vantage ground. [R.] --Clarendon.
{To have the advantage of} (any one), to have a personal
   knowledge of one who does not have a reciprocal knowledge.
   ``You have the advantage of me; I don't remember ever to
   have had the honor.'' --Sheridan.
{To take advantage of}, to profit by; (often used in a bad
   sense) to overreach, to outwit.
Syn: {Advantage}, {Advantageous}, {Benefit}, {Beneficial}.
Usage: We speak of a thing as a benefit, or as beneficial,
       when it is simply productive of good; as, the benefits
       of early discipline; the beneficial effects of
       adversity. We speak of a thing as an advantage, or as
       advantageous, when it affords us the means of getting
       forward, and places us on a ``vantage ground'' for
       further effort. Hence, there is a difference between
       the benefits and the advantages of early education;
       between a beneficial and an advantageous investment of
       money.

\Ad*van"tage\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Advantaged}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Advantaging}.] [F. avantager, fr. avantage. See
{Advance}.]
To give an advantage to; to further; to promote; to benefit;
to profit.
      The truth is, the archbishop's own stiffness and
      averseness to comply with the court designs, advantaged
      his adversaries against him.             --Fuller.
      What is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world,
      and lose himself, or be cast away?       --Luke ix. 25.
{To advantage one's self of}, to avail one's self of. [Obs.]