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.

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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

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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

The company is looking to cut thousands of costs through battery technology and other advancements.

From The Wall Street Journal

Technological disruption, including from advancements in AI, robotics and quantum computing, will have profound implications for deal-making this year, it says.

From The Wall Street Journal

While the median life expectancy for people living with the disorder has improved due to advancements in medicine, most patients are unlikely to live past their 30s.

From Barron's

From its start in the 1920s, the Walt Disney animation studio became his playground for innovative and adventurous advancements in cartoon creation, filmmaking and camera development.

From The Wall Street Journal

One challenge for Taiwan is new spy tech—what government watchdog the Control Yuan has described as “China’s rapid advancements in defense and intelligence technologies.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advance
• growth
• improvement
• upgrading