An unfavorable circumstance or condition that makes it harder for someone to succeed compared to others.
From French 'désavantage,' combining the prefix 'dis-' (opposite of) and 'advantage' (from Latin 'ad' meaning 'to' and 'venire' meaning 'to come'). The word literally means the opposite of having favorable circumstances.
The word 'disadvantage' carries hidden assumptions about fairness—using it implies there's an 'advantage' baseline that some people have, which is why economists and social scientists constantly debate what conditions count as truly 'disadvantaged.'
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