an increasing disadvantage

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an increasing disadvantage" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where a particular disadvantage is becoming more pronounced or significant over time. Example: "As the competition grows fiercer, we are facing an increasing disadvantage in the market."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

But there is no question that virtually every ruling by Judge Walker so far has put advocates of traditional marriage at an increasing disadvantage.

The New York Times

Mr. Meese says pretrial rulings by the judge in the Proposition 8 trial put the California voters who supported the measure, which outlawed same-sex marriage, "on trial" and put "advocates of traditional marriage at an increasing disadvantage".

The New York Times

The last two big American reinsurers left are Berkshire Hathaway and Transatlantic Holdings (now a subsidiary of the Alleghany Corporation), but they are at an increasing disadvantage because of the better tax treatment and lighter regulation for offshore reinsurers.

The New York Times

"Authors who choose not to take part in any sort of online promotion or to curry online exposure," or who don't "blog, post clips on YouTube, have a page on MySpace or otherwise engage an Internet audience" will soon find themselves at "an increasing disadvantage," he writes.

The New York Times

Saffron was also a labor-intensive crop, which became an increasing disadvantage as wages and time opportunity costs rose.

Wikipedia

Indeed, global atrophy interacted with medial perirhinal cortex thickness: medial perirhinal cortex thinning was associated with an increasing disadvantage for non-living things at moderate levels of atrophy in the context of general living things impairment.

Brain

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Spencer and Logan [ 8] note that secular changes in birth weight, birth weight variations within genetically similar populations, and birth weight depiction of a reverse social gradient such that increasing disadvantage is associated with decreasing birth weight all suggest an environmental influence.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

The project nurse made six visits to each practice, with an additional five visits to one practice due to scheduling and data extraction problems.> -wrap-foot> aSocio-economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) has a national average of 1000 with increasing disadvantage as values decrease.

BMC Family Practice

Patients in the 'most disadvantaged' quartile had higher comorbidity, with a significant trend for the association between increasing disadvantage and increasing comorbidity (χ2 trend 66.4, p < 0.001).

BMC Health Services Research

For individual cancers there is a consistent suggestion, indicated by rate ratios greater than unity, of poorer survival with increasing disadvantage.

BMC Cancer

Unless companies can increase the returns on their pension funds, they will be at an increasing cost disadvantage compared with foreign rivals.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "an increasing disadvantage", ensure the context clearly indicates what is causing the disadvantage to grow. This provides clarity and strengthens your argument.

Common error

Avoid stating "an increasing disadvantage" without explaining its origin or how it's worsening. Failing to provide context can weaken the impact of your statement and leave the reader questioning its validity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an increasing disadvantage" functions as a noun phrase that modifies an existing noun, typically describing a situation or entity. It emphasizes that the disadvantage is not static but is actively growing or becoming more significant over time. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

32%

News & Media

30%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Wiki

7%

Unknown/unmatched sources

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an increasing disadvantage" is a grammatically correct and relatively uncommon expression used to describe a worsening unfavorable situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is usable in written English. It functions as a noun phrase, highlighting a growing obstacle or weakness. Predominantly found in scientific, news, and academic contexts, it maintains a neutral tone suitable for diverse applications. When employing this phrase, it's crucial to provide context on the cause of the disadvantage to enhance clarity. Alternatives like "growing drawback" or "mounting impediment" offer similar meanings with subtle variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a growing drawback

Replaces "disadvantage" with "drawback" and "increasing" with "growing", emphasizing the developing nature of the problem.

a mounting impediment

Substitutes "disadvantage" with "impediment" and "increasing" with "mounting", suggesting the obstacle is accumulating.

an escalating handicap

Replaces "disadvantage" with "handicap" and "increasing" with "escalating", highlighting the rising severity.

a worsening predicament

Changes the focus to the overall situation becoming worse, implying the disadvantage is part of a larger problem.

a developing liability

Uses "liability" instead of "disadvantage", framing it as something that could cause trouble or loss.

a snowballing detriment

Replaces "disadvantage" with "detriment" and compares the increase to a snowball effect, emphasizing rapid growth.

a progressive obstacle

Substitutes "increasing" with "progressive", indicating a gradual worsening over time.

a burgeoning downside

Replaces "disadvantage" with "downside" and "increasing" with "burgeoning", suggesting a rapid expansion of the negative aspect.

a compounded weakness

Uses "weakness" instead of "disadvantage", highlighting the element of vulnerability that is intensified

a magnified shortcoming

Replaces "disadvantage" with "shortcoming" and uses "magnified" to describe its increasing presence or effect.

FAQs

How can I use "an increasing disadvantage" in a sentence?

You can use "an increasing disadvantage" to describe a situation where something is becoming progressively more unfavorable. For example, "Due to the lack of investment, the company faces an increasing disadvantage against its competitors".

What are some alternatives to "an increasing disadvantage"?

Alternatives include "growing drawback", "mounting impediment", or "escalating handicap", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to use "growing" or "increasing" with "disadvantage"?

Both "growing disadvantage" and "increasing disadvantage" are grammatically correct and convey a similar meaning. The choice often depends on stylistic preference or the specific context. "Increasing" might suggest a more measured or gradual progression, while "growing" can imply a more organic or rapid expansion.

What factors might lead to "an increasing disadvantage" in business?

Factors contributing to "an increasing disadvantage" in business can include technological advancements by competitors, changing market conditions, increased regulatory burdens, or a failure to innovate. These elements gradually erode a company's competitive position.