advance

American  

[ad-vans, -vahns] / ædˈvæns, -ˈvɑns /

verb (used with object)

advanced, advancing

1. to move or bring forward.

   The general advanced his troops to the new position.

   Antonyms:

   withdraw

2. to bring into consideration or notice; suggest; propose.

   to advance reasons for a tax cut.

   Synonyms:

   offer, propound, adduce

   Antonyms:

   withdraw

3. to improve; further.

   to advance one's interests.

   Synonyms:

   promote, forward

4. to raise in rank; promote.

   The board of directors advanced him to president.

5. to raise in rate or amount; increase.

   to advance the price.

6. to bring forward in time; accelerate.

   to advance growth;

   to advance clocks one hour.

   Synonyms:

   speed up, hasten, quicken, force

7. to supply beforehand; furnish on credit or before goods are delivered or work is done.

8. to furnish as part of a stock or fund.

9. to supply or pay in expectation of reimbursement.

   They advanced her $5000 against future royalties.

   Synonyms:

   loan, lend

10. to schedule at a later time or date.

    to advance a meeting from early to late fall.

11. Informal. to do advance publicity for.

    to advance a rock singer's personal appearances;

    the most heavily advanced sports event in history.

12. Archaic. to raise, as a banner.

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verb (used without object)

advanced, advancing

1. to move or go forward; proceed.

   The troops advanced.

   Antonyms:

   retreat

2. to increase in quantity, value, price, etc..

   His stock advanced three points.

3. (of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move toward or be perceived as moving toward an observer, especially as giving the illusion of space.

4. to improve or make progress.

   Synonyms:

   flourish, thrive, prosper

5. to grow or rise in importance, status, etc..

   to advance in rank.

   Antonyms:

   decrease

6. Informal. to provide publicity; do promotion.

   He was hired to advance for a best-selling author.

noun

1. a forward movement; progress in space.

   the advance of the troops to the border.

2. promotion; improvement in importance, rank, etc..

   his advance to the position of treasurer.

   Synonyms:

   advancement, growth

3. Usually advances.

   1. attempts at forming an acquaintanceship, reaching an agreement, or the like, made by one party.

   2. actions or words intended to be sexually inviting.

   Synonyms:

   tender, offer, proposal, overture

4. addition to price; rise in price.

   an advance on cottons.

5. Commerce.

   1. a giving beforehand; a furnishing of something before an equivalent is received.

      An advance on his next month's salary permitted him to pay his debt on time.

   2. the money or goods thus furnished.

      He received $100 as an advance against future delivery.

6. Journalism.

   1. copy prepared before the event it describes has occurred.

      The morning papers carried advances on the ceremony, which will take place tonight.

   2. a press release, wire-service dispatch, or the like, as one containing the text or partial text of a speech, sent to arrive in advance of the event to which it is related.

7. the leading body of an army.

   Synonyms:

   spearhead, van, vanguard, advance guard

8. Military. (formerly) the order or a signal to advance.

9. Informal.

   1. publicity done before the appearance of a noted person, a public event, etc..

      She was hired to do advance for the candidate.

   2. a person hired to do advance publicity for an event.

      He is regarded as the best advance in the business.

10. Automotive, Machinery. an adjustment made in the setting of the distributor of an internal-combustion engine to generate the spark for ignition in each cylinder earlier in the cycle.

11. Geology. a seaward movement of the shoreline.

adjective

1. going or placed before.

   an advance section of a train.

2. made or given ahead of time.

   an advance payment on a loan.

3. issued ahead of time.

   an advance copy of the president's speech.

4. having gone beyond others or beyond the average.

idioms

1. in advance of, in front of; before.

   Heralds walked in advance of the king.

2. in advance, ahead of time; beforehand.

   You must get your tickets in advance.

advance British  

/ ədˈvɑːns /

verb

1. to go or bring forward in position

2. (foll by on) to move (towards) in a threatening manner

3. (tr) to present for consideration; suggest

4. to bring or be brought to a further stage of development; improve; further

5. (tr) to cause (an event) to occur earlier

6. (tr) to supply (money, goods, etc) beforehand, either for a loan or as an initial payment

7. to increase (a price, value, rate of occurrence, etc) or (of a price, etc) to be increased

8. (intr) to improve one's position; be promoted

   he advanced rapidly in his job

9. archaic (tr) to promote in rank, status, or position

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noun

1. forward movement; progress in time or space

2. improvement; progress in development

3. commerce

   1. the supplying of commodities or funds before receipt of an agreed consideration

   2. the commodities or funds supplied in this manner

   3. ( as modifier )

      an advance supply

4. Also called: advance payment.  a money payment made before it is legally due

   this is an advance on your salary

5. a loan of money

6. an increase in price, value, rate of occurrence, etc

7. a less common word for advancement

8. 1. beforehand

      payment in advance

   2. (foll by of) ahead in time or development

      ideas in advance of the time

9. (modifier) forward in position or time

   advance booking

   an advance warning

advance More Idioms  

1. see in advance; make advances.

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Related Words

Advance, move on, proceed all imply movement forward. Advance applies to forward movement, especially toward an objective: to advance to a platform. Proceed emphasizes movement, as from one place to another, and often implies continuing after a halt: to proceed on one's journey. Move on is similar in meaning to proceed; it does not, however, imply a definite goal: The crowd was told to move on.

Other Word Forms

• advancer
  noun
• advancingly
  adverb
• overadvance
  verb
• unadvancing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of advance

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English avauncen, from Anglo-French, Old French avanc(i)er, from Vulgar Latin abantiāre (unrecorded), verb derived from Late Latin abante “in front (of ),” from Latin ab “away from, off” + ante “before”; ad- by mistaking a- for a- ⁵ in the 16th century

Explanation

The experience of having a wild monkey advance on you is pretty scary. The verb advance means "move forward purposefully." When you move forward, you advance. You can advance a chess piece on a board, advance toward someone across a room, or observe an army as it advances into a country. Advance also means "make progress," as when you advance your knowledge of Spanish by traveling to Ecuador, or "to loan money," which a bank does by making an advance of a thousand dollars. Since the 1700s, to make advances has also meant to make romantic overtures or to flirt.

Example Sentences

The first- and second-place finishers in each pool will advance to the single elimination eight-team quarterfinals.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

This will be one of the few times when the Russian president’s precise location, under the open skies, will be known in advance.

From Slate • May 9, 2026

Meanwhile, Broadcom leads the VanEck Semiconductor ETF so far this year with a 66% advance.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

Since taking power in 2012, Xi has used anticorruption purges to consolidate control and advance plans to modernize a military that hasn’t fought a full-scale war since 1979, when China battled Vietnam.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The trolls focus their beady eyes on me and advance.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• advancement
• boost
• breakthrough
• development
• gain
• growth
• increase
• progress
• rise
• step