detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

1

: injury, damage

did hard work without detriment to his health

2

: a cause of injury or damage

a detriment to progress

Synonyms

• harm
• damage
• injury

Examples of detriment in a Sentence

opponents of casino gambling claim that it is a detriment to society at large

the requirement that runners wear shoes for the race worked to his detriment since he was used to running barefoot

Recent Examples on the Web

But top city leaders are pushing back on the idea as a potential drain to Indy's tax base and a detriment to civic accountability. —Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 31 Aug. 2025

Neo-Austrians imagine that $100,000 rented by Bank A from the saver soon enough morphs into millions, billions, and seemingly trillions of dollars coursing through the economy, all to the dollar’s detriment. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

In a 2025 national survey on the impact of social media on teen mental health, the Pew Research Center found that many parents believe social media is the primary detriment to teen mental health. —Lani Ngonethong, Twin Cities, 30 Aug. 2025

As a result, landowners and businesses often see endangered species as a detriment to their operations, said Jonathan Adler, an environmental law professor at William & Mary Law School in Virginia. —Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin dētrīmentum "reduction in quantity, diminishment, harm, damage," from dētrī-, variant stem of dēterere "to wear away, rub off, lessen, impair" + -mentum -ment — more at detritus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing detriment

• to one's detriment
• to the detriment of
• without detriment to

Kids Definition

detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

: injury or damage or its cause

Legal Definition

detriment

noun

det·​ri·​ment ˈde-trə-mənt 

1

: injury, loss

also : the cause of an injury or loss

2

: a giving up of a thing or mode of conduct to which one is entitled that constitutes consideration for a contract

called also legal detriment

detrimental

ˌde-trə-ˈmen-təl 

adjective

detrimentally adverb