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:
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
Artificial intelligence seems to be popping up everywhere, fueling the advancement of hardware beyond the smartphone but also debate about its use.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 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
Sometimes I think texting is the single worst technological advancement in history.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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
“While advancements in biomechanics and technology have significantly improved our understanding of pitching mechanics and performance optimization,” Mr. Friedman writes, “the injury bug remains elusive.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The fear of becoming surplus to requirements because of advancements in AI is one shared by millions of workers, but are AI recruitment tools posing a specific threat to women trying to return to employment?
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The statement highlights some of the anxiety surrounding the latest advancements in technology as some of the world’s largest companies race to compete with China and other countries to dominate the AI race.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
All the advancements of art and science—electricity, the internal combustion engine, the theory of relativity, cubism—had to be explained, and even then they often didn’t make sense.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
