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Prepositions after adjectives

Disadvantaged in or disadvantaged by?

Disadvantaged in refers to the area where someone lacks an advantage. Disadvantaged by identifies the factor causing the disadvantage.

Quick answer

Which preposition should follow disadvantaged?

Use disadvantaged in for a field, skill, or situation where someone has less advantage. Use disadvantaged by for the cause or condition creating the disadvantage.

Students may feel disadvantaged in large classes.
She was disadvantaged by limited funding.
Non-native speakers can be disadvantaged in fast discussions.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
disadvantaged in + area or activity

Showing where the disadvantage exists

Use in for the field, context, or activity where someone is at a disadvantage.

Rural schools are often disadvantaged in technology access.
He felt disadvantaged in job interviews.
2
disadvantaged by + cause

Naming the reason for the disadvantage

Use by to identify the factor creating the disadvantage.

Many families are disadvantaged by high housing costs.
She was disadvantaged by a lack of experience.
3
disadvantaged compared with + group

Making a comparison

Compared with introduces the group that has a stronger position.

Small firms are disadvantaged compared with large corporations.
Local candidates felt disadvantaged compared with international applicants.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
disadvantaged in
They are disadvantaged in competitive exams.
In refers to the area or situation.
disadvantaged by
The region was disadvantaged by poor transport links.
By introduces the cause.
disadvantaged at
He felt disadvantaged at school.
At refers to the place or institution, not the cause.
disadvantaged compared with
Older devices are disadvantaged compared with newer models.
Used for direct comparison.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by for the area

Use in for fields or activities.

✕ She felt disadvantaged by mathematics. ✓ She felt disadvantaged in mathematics.

Using in for the cause

Use by for the reason behind the disadvantage.

✕ The team was disadvantaged in bad weather. ✓ The team was disadvantaged by bad weather.

Using compared with as a cause

Compared with introduces a comparison, not a reason.

✕ They were disadvantaged compared with rising costs. ✓ They were disadvantaged by rising costs.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Many students are disadvantaged ___ online learning environments.
2. The village was disadvantaged ___ poor roads.
3. Small shops are disadvantaged ___ large chains.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between disadvantaged in and disadvantaged by?

Disadvantaged in refers to the area where the disadvantage appears. Disadvantaged by refers to the cause.

Can I say disadvantaged at school?

Yes. At school refers to the place or setting where the disadvantage exists.

Is disadvantaged with correct?

Disadvantaged with is uncommon and usually avoided in standard English.

daily, for, daily, with, daily, in damaging to, for, of, in or as? damn about, near, for, to or as? "dangerous for" or "dangerous to"? "dark in", "dark for" or "dark of"? "daunting for" or "daunting to"? dead in, on, by, at or of? deadly to, in, for, of or with? "deaf to" or "deaf in"? dear to, in, for, of or as? deceased in, to, for, at or on? "decent in" or "decent for"?

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