advancement
Americannoun
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advancements
plural
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the act or process of moving forward.
They hoped that destroying bridges around the metropolis would slow the advancement of enemy troops.
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promotion in rank or standing; preferment.
She had high hopes for advancement in the company.
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development toward increased understanding, quality, utility, or benefit to human welfare in a consequential area of knowledge, technology, or practice.
She toiled in the lab out of personal ambition, not for the advancement of medical science.
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an achievement or result contributing to progress in a consequential area of knowledge, technology, or practice.
Advancements in robotics will transform industry.
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Law. money or property given by one person during their lifetime to another that is considered an anticipation of an inheritance and is therefore to be deducted from any share that the recipient may have in a donor's estate.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of advancement
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English avauncement, from Anglo-French, Old French avancement; see advance, -ment
Explanation
Use the noun advancement when you talk about something's growth or progress. The advancement of modern medicine has lengthened many people's lives. You might describe a society's advancement as a result of new industries and an improved economy. You could also cheer your best friend's advancement in her French class, being moved to a higher level because of her hard work. When you advance, you move forward — either literally or figuratively. Advancement comes from this idea of moving in a positive direction and its Old French root word avancier, "move forward," from the Late Latin abante, "in front."
Vocabulary lists containing advancement
The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 9
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Lesson 6
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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.
See Examples For:
“We are grateful for Cathy’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women’s basketball.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
For previous cohorts, this meant having a perfect GPA, winning a prestigious award, or demonstrating the highest technical advancement.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
"It's an exciting advancement that brings us closer to realizing the dream of a single assay for universal disease detection."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has created a sense of urgency in the United States to develop regulations that mitigate and prevent risks associated with the technology.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
“Once you are a fence guard, there is some potential for advancement, but not much. You may be able to go on patrols beyond Amity’s farms, but—” “Patrols for what purpose?” asks Will.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
“The latest advancements in AI are elevating cybersecurity to the top of the CIO priority list,” CEO Nikesh Arora said in a statement.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Continuous advancements in physical artificial intelligence are accelerating the development of humanoid robots, the U.S. bank says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Now, advancements in AI are turning that pipe dream into a potential reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Intel sees “significant growth opportunities” from its advancements in areas such as physical AI, custom silicon, advanced chip packaging and external wafers, the company added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
These advancements came too late for James Garfield.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
