Wiktionary

detriment

See also: détriment

English

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Etymology

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

Detriment is based off the word deter, and built on similar foundations to the word impediment.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

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detriment (countable and uncountable, plural detriments)

  1. Harm, hurt, damage.
    • 1872, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter 7, in The Possessed‎[1], archived from the original on 31 March 2012:
      “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.”
    • 2012, Stephen King, 11/22/63, page 775:
      "Would it be fair to say that when it came to making trouble, you'd make up for what you didn't absolutely know . . . and to our detriment?"
    • 2023 January 17, Trisha Pasricha, “Is It Bad to Drink Coffee on an Empty Stomach?”, in The New York Times‎[2], →ISSN:
      “There’s far more evidence for coffee’s benefits than harms,” Dr. Cryer said — which is something worth keeping in mind, he added, while you scroll through social media stories that profess the brew’s detriments.
  2. (UK, obsolete) A charge made to students and barristers for incidental repairs of the rooms they occupy.
  3. (astrology) The position or state of a planet when it is in the sign opposite its house, considered to weaken it.
    • 1660, Henry More, An Explanation of the grand Mystery of Godliness, page 342:
      Saturn, Jupiter and Mars from their conjunction to their opposition with the Sun are Oriental, and gain two fortitudes; but from their Opposition to their Conjunction are occidental, and incur two detriments.
    • 1730, NathanBailey, Dictionarium Britannicum,:
      DEJECTION [with Astrol.] said of the planets, when in their detriment, i.e. when they have lost their force or influence by reason of being in opposition to some other, which check and contract them.
    • 1761, Philip Massinger, The Dramatic Works of Philip Massinger ... Revised ... by T. Coxeter. With Notes Critical and Explanatory, of Various Authors. To which are Prefixed, Critical Reflections on the Old English Dramatic Writers [by G. Colman]., page 302:
      This is infallible : Saturn out of all Dignities in his Detriment and Fall, combust : and Venus in the South-angle elevated above him, Lady of both their Nativities, in her essential and accidental Dignities; occidental from the […]
    • 1826, Ebenezer Sibly, A New and Complete Illustration of the Celestial Science of Astrology; Or, The Art of Foretelling Future Events and Contingencies, page 257:
      Mercury peregrine, and in detriment or fall, retrograde or combust, in quartile or opposition of Luna from angles, Now in motion, cadent, or in via combusta, or afflicted by Saturn or Mars, shows […]
    • 2004 January 1, Carol Rushman, Forecasting Your Life Events: An Art of Predictive Astrology, Motilal Banarsidass, →ISBN, page 212:
      The dignity or debility of the planet the eclipse falls on must be noted. Eclipses that fall on a planet in detriment or fall seem to have more of an adverse effect. Eclipses that fall on a planet in its rulership or exaltation seem […]
    • 2004 08, Teresa Moorey, The Little Book of Moon Magic, Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN, page 15:
      The Moon is in her detriment in Capricorn, which is opposite Cancer. Those with the Moon in Capricorn may be afraid of their feelings, keeping them locked away. The Moon is in her fall in Scorpio, which is opposite Taurus.
    • 2012, B. D. Salerno, Forensics by the Stars: Astrology Investigates, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 90:
      Planets in their detriment do not operate well with their basic natural energies because they are not in a comfortable environment within which to do so. Planets in detriment are disorganized. The easy, peace-loving energy of Venus is […]
    • 2019 March 20, Petros Eleftheriadis, Horary Astrology: The Practical Way to Learn Your Fate, The Wessex Astrologer, →ISBN:
      The Moon is in detriment and doesn't aspect the ascendant. Mercury applies to an opposition with Jupiter without reception. Judgement: The Mercury/Jupiter opposition is not fortunate, but there are two very fortunate testimonies, […]
  4. (heraldry, of the moon) The position or state of being eclipsed, entirely dark (sable).
    Antonyms: in complement, in plenitude
    Coordinate terms: in increment, in decrement
    • 1693, Richard Blome, The Art of Heraldry [...] second edition, page 110:
      Argent, a Moon in her detriment or Eclipse Sable […]
    • 1729, Abel Boyer, Le Grand théâtre de l'honneur et de noblesse (overall work in French and English), page 105:
      Moon in its Detriment, or Wane
    • 1797, Encyclopaedia Britannica, page 457:
      Argent; a Moon in her detriment, Sable. This word is used in heraldry to denote her being eclipsed.
    • 1845, Edward Smedley, Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, page 610:
      When sable, the moon is said to be in her detriment.

Usage notes

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  • Often used in the form "to someone's detriment".
  • (astrology, heraldry): Often used in the form "in (her, its, their, etc) detriment".
  • (heraldry): Distinguish a moon in its detriment (entirely eclipsed) from a moon in its decrement, which is one waning.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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detriment (third-person singular simple present detriments, present participle detrimenting, simple past and past participle detrimented)

  1. (transitive, chiefly obsolete) To be detrimental to; to harm or mar.

Further reading

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Latin dētrīmentum.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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detriment m (plural detriments)

  1. detriment, harm
    Synonyms: dany, perjudici
  2. (astrology) detriment

Further reading

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Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French détriment, from Latin detrimentum.

Noun

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detriment n (uncountable)

  1. detriment

Declension

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declension of detriment (singular only)
singular
n gender indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) detriment detrimentul
genitive/dative (unui) detriment detrimentului
vocative detrimentule
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