advancement

American  

[ad-vans-muhnt, -vahns-] / ædˈvæns mənt, -ˈvɑns- /

noun

1. the act or process of moving forward.

   They hoped that destroying bridges around the metropolis would slow the advancement of enemy troops.

2. promotion in rank or standing; preferment.

   She had high hopes for advancement in the company.

3. 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.

4. an achievement or result contributing to progress in a consequential area of knowledge, technology, or practice.

   Advancements in robotics will transform industry.

5. 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.

---

advancement British  

/ ədˈvɑːnsmənt /

noun

1. promotion in rank, status, etc; preferment

2. a less common word for advance advance

3. property law the use during a testator's lifetime of money or property for the benefit of a child or other person who is a prospective beneficiary in the testator's will

---

Other Word Forms

• nonadvancement noun
• self-advancement noun

Etymology

Origin of advancement

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English avauncement, from Anglo-French, Old French avancement; advance, -ment

Example Sentences

Both funds, so-called business development companies, have lent heavily to software companies, a sector where investors have grown skeptical of their growth prospects due to advancements in artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch

Newsom, eager to show some advancement before he leaves office, has refocused construction on building a segment from Merced to Bakersfield.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of the urgency can be traced to the rapid advancement of AI capabilities, which has surprised some of the most seasoned researchers and coders.

From The Wall Street Journal

That is because the past two decades have brought scientific advancements that made new cancer drugs much better, Pazdur said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Askell describes herself as an optimist but still sees risks that society’s checks and balances may get overwhelmed by AI advancements.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advance
• growth
• improvement
• upgrading