detrimental C1 Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˌdɛtɹɪˈmɛntəl/ See IPA manual Freq #31378 Meanings 1 adj Causing harm or damage. Smoking is detrimental to your health. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · causing harm or damage. damagingdeleteriousharmfulhurtfulinjuriousnoxious Etymology AI details From Medieval Latin *dētrīmentālis, from Latin dētrīmentum (“harm”), from dēterō (“to rub off, wear”), from dē- (“down, away”) + terō (“to rub or grab”). *dētrīmentālis la-med dētrīmentum Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # detrimental **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˌdɛtɹɪˈmɛntəl/ **Frequency rank:** 31378 ## Meanings 1. Causing harm or damage. ## Examples - Smoking is detrimental to your health. ## Roots and Affixes - Root: *dētrīmentālis - Root: dētrīmentum ## Etymology From Medieval Latin *dētrīmentālis, from Latin dētrīmentum (“harm”), from dēterō (“to rub off, wear”), from dē- (“down, away”) + terō (“to rub or grab”). ## AI Etymology Detrimental is from Medieval Latin *dētrīmentālis, from Latin dētrīmentum (“harm”), from dēterō (“to rub off, wear”), from dē- (“down, away”) + terō (“to rub or grab”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it means causing harm or damage. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown