vanguard
Americannoun
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the foremost division or the front part of an army; advance guard; van.
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the forefront in any movement, field, activity, or the like.
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the leaders of any intellectual or political movement.
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(initial capital letter) a U.S. three-stage, satellite-launching rocket, the first two stages powered by liquid-propellant engines and the third by a solid-propellant engine.
noun
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the leading division or units of a military force
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the leading position in any movement or field, or the people who occupy such a position
the vanguard of modern literature
Etymology
Origin of vanguard
First recorded in 1480–90; earlier van(d)gard(e), from Middle French avangarde, variant of avant-garde; avaunt, guard
Explanation
If you are in the vanguard, you're up front. It could be that you are in the vanguard of an advancing army, or in the vanguard of any movement, trend, or occupation. Vanguard is an old variation of the French word avant-garde meaning "fore-guard" or "front guard." Vanguard and avant-garde have the same basic meaning, but avant-garde generally describes artistic endeavors, while vanguard can be more widely applied. You might talk about the vanguard of fashion on the red carpet, the vanguard of medical research at a university, or the vanguard of a political movement at a demonstration.
Vocabulary lists containing vanguard
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If they are the vanguard of a sentient nonhuman enemy, we don’t have much to fear yet.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who won a landslide victory in an election in February, is in the vanguard of this shift.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
Scott Hammond, Spaceport chief executive, said the contract strengthened the site's position "at the vanguard of UK vertical space launch".
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
“Or do we want to be a party that is leading the vanguard to protect workers and to fight for working families?”
From Salon • Dec. 1, 2025
The vanguard passed through the trenches of fire by many devious paths that had been left between them.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
