detriment

See also: détriment

English

Etymology

From Old French detriement, from Latin detrimentum (“loss, damage, literally a rubbing off”), from deterere (“to rub off, wear”), from de- (“down, away”) + terere (“to rub”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈdɛtɹɪmənt/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

detriment (countable and uncountable, plural detriments)

  1. Harm, hurt, damage.
    • 1872, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter 7, in The Possessed‎:
      “But marriage in secret, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch — a fatal secret. I receive money from you, and I'm suddenly asked the question, 'What's that money for?' My hands are tied; I cannot answer to the detriment of my sister, to the detriment of the family honour.”
  2. (Britain, obsolete) A charge made to students and barristers for incidental repairs of the rooms they occupy.

Usage notes

  • Often used in the form "to someone's detriment".

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

  • detriment in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • detriment in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.