vanguard
Americannoun
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the foremost division or the front part of an army; advance guard; van.
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the forefront in any movement, field, activity, or the like.
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the leaders of any intellectual or political movement.
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(initial capital letter) a U.S. three-stage, satellite-launching rocket, the first two stages powered by liquid-propellant engines and the third by a solid-propellant engine.
noun
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the leading division or units of a military force
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the leading position in any movement or field, or the people who occupy such a position
the vanguard of modern literature
Etymology
Origin of vanguard
First recorded in 1480–90; earlier van(d)gard(e), from Middle French avangarde, variant of avant-garde; see avaunt, guard
Explanation
If you are in the vanguard, you're up front. It could be that you are in the vanguard of an advancing army, or in the vanguard of any movement, trend, or occupation. Vanguard is an old variation of the French word avant-garde meaning "fore-guard" or "front guard." Vanguard and avant-garde have the same basic meaning, but avant-garde generally describes artistic endeavors, while vanguard can be more widely applied. You might talk about the vanguard of fashion on the red carpet, the vanguard of medical research at a university, or the vanguard of a political movement at a demonstration.
Vocabulary lists containing vanguard
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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.
And so an outcast couple, immoral and ungovernable, served as the vanguard for new European settlements.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
In the vanguard of the latest bull stampede is the semiconductor sector, which is due to get another lift Friday as Intel shares see a big post-earnings-report pop.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
Gerko was at the vanguard of the industry’s shift toward AI.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
If they are the vanguard of a sentient nonhuman enemy, we don’t have much to fear yet.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Kronos's vanguard was in the lead: Ethan Nakamura, the dracaena queen in her green armor, and two Hyperboreans.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
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.
