advance man

American

[ad-vans-man, ‐-vahns‐] / ædˈvænsˌmæn, ‐ˈvɑns‐ /

Or advanceman

noun

advance.

advance man British

noun

an agent of a political candidate or other public figure who travels in advance of the candidate to organize publicity, arrange meetings, and make security checks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of advance man

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

But he got a taste for scoops as an advance man to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

He previously worked as an advance man in the Clinton White House.

From Slate • May 24, 2017

Major John M. “Arizona John” Burke would have been a fine presidential advance man.

From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2017

Finally there is George Gigicos, one of the few in Trump’s club with previous White House experience, having served as an advance man for President George W. Bush.

From Time • Jan. 20, 2017

“Wanted me to get the advance man to arrange for a vet. Didn’t seem to understand that the advance man was gone out in advance, hence the name.”

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023