detrimental for vs detrimental to

Both 'detrimental for' and 'detrimental to' are commonly used in English, but 'detrimental to' is more widely accepted and preferred. 'Detrimental to' is the more standard and idiomatic choice when discussing harm or damage caused by something.

Last updated: March 25, 2024 • 2740 views

detrimental for

This phrase is less common and less idiomatic than 'detrimental to', but it can still be used in certain contexts.

While 'detrimental for' is less common, it can still be used when discussing negative effects or harm caused by something. It is not as widely accepted as 'detrimental to' but can be used in informal or creative writing.

Examples:

The new policy was detrimental for the company's growth.
His behavior was detrimental for the team's morale.
The lack of exercise was detrimental for his health.
The delay was detrimental for the project's timeline.
The noise was detrimental for her concentration.

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Considers it detrimental for the image of the EU if individual Member States can apply different control standards;
whereas the impact of natural disasters is particularly detrimental for developing countries, reversing the beneficial effects of development cooperation, hampering further growth and poverty eradication and causing severe biodiversity losses,
This is highly detrimental for welfare.
False promises are detrimental for both them and us.
Often, the systems for calculating pensions are detrimental for women, as they are linked to professional careers.
Policy packages that emphasise part-time work and leave arrangements too much may be detrimental for sustaining women's earning capacity throughout their lives.
A reassessment of the sectors concerned every 3 years will unnecessarily lead to uncertainty which is detrimental for investment.
Rest on board the vehicle is detrimental for welfare
Moreover, and despite some progress recorded in recent years, structural and endemic problems related to the recording of Greek government accounts have also been detrimental for timely and effective revenue and expenditure control.
Excessively long periods of pre-trial detention are detrimental for the individual, can prejudice the judicial cooperation between the Member States and do not represent the values for which the European Union stands.
Furthermore, any decision about possible priority expenditure items would risk to be detrimental for other expenditure that may be contributing as well to the Lisbon objectives.
If a beneficiary country relies too much on one sector in its exports, this can be detrimental for its development, and allows for the graduation.
This would be detrimental for the achievement of the Union's agreed objectives, lead to less efficient individual Member States' spending, and fail to address the common challenges that EU citizens are or will be facing.
This is vital from an environmental point of view, since uncertainty is detrimental for the planning of future investments which could lead to emission reductions - e.g. through energy efficiency or through the renewal of old capacity.
Devastation has been wrought in the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth, where 900 homes and businesses have been affected, the ramifications of which will be detrimental for years.
However, this undertaking can sometimes be extremely harmful for certain States in our Union, take, for example, the milk quotas which have been so detrimental for so many areas of Europe.
We should concentrate on what can build consensus in the euro area, because not having this consensus will be detrimental for the markets' perception of the euro area.
One simple example: were it in force, were the Charter of Fundamental Rights in force, the Court of Justice could not have taken the Viking and Laval decisions, which are so detrimental for workers.
whereas it has not yet been possible to achieve for all the species concerned the general objective of the Convention, namely to limit the international trade in specimens of endangered species of wild fauna and flora to level that is not detrimental for their survival,
In renegotiating the terms on fishing under the agreement with Mauritania, the Commission is proposing changes to the number of licences to fish for cephalopods that are detrimental for Spain.

Alternatives:

detrimental to

detrimental to

This phrase is the more standard and widely accepted choice when discussing harm or damage caused by something.

'Detrimental to' is the preferred phrase when talking about something causing harm, damage, or negative effects. It is more commonly used in both formal and informal contexts.