detriment

[de-truh-muh nt] /ˈdɛ trə mənt/
noun
1.
loss, damage, disadvantage, or injury.
2.
a cause of loss or damage.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin dētrīmentum loss, damage, equivalent to dētrī- (see detritus) + -mentum -ment
Synonyms
1. See damage.
Examples from the web for detriment
  • Let us just say that everything that they tout as an "improvement" is a detriment to the actual functioning of the product.
  • It is to the detriment of that country.
  • We hope the Norwalk hatters stay at work, but not to the detriment of the hat industry.
  • Regarding egos, most egos are neutral, but of course a person's ego can be to his detriment.
  • Even a short-term drop in production could be a long-term detriment.
  • Today it serves neither and is actually working to the detriment of both.
  • He was commanded to take care that the republic suffer no detriment.
  • Tradewise, therefore, anything said to its detriment at the moment doesn't mean very much.
  • Interestingly, these are preventive measure that the dental profession has pushed to its own economic detriment.
  • That will be to their detriment.
British Dictionary definitions for detriment

detriment

/ˈdɛtrɪmənt/
noun
1.
disadvantage or damage; harm; loss
2.
a cause of disadvantage or damage
Word Origin
C15: from Latin dētrīmentum, a rubbing off, hence damage, from dēterere to rub away, from de- + terere to rub
Word Origin and History for detriment
n.

early 15c., from Middle French détriment or directly from Latin detrimentum "a rubbing off; a loss, damage, defeat," from past participle stem of detere "to wear away," figuratively "to weaken, impair," from de- "away" (see de-) + terere "to rub, wear" (see throw (v.)).