vanguard

American  

[van-gahrd] / ˈvænˌgɑrd /

noun

1. the foremost division or the front part of an army; advance guard; van.

2. the forefront in any movement, field, activity, or the like.

3. the leaders of any intellectual or political movement.

4. (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.

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vanguard British  

/ ˈvænˌɡɑːd /

noun

1. the leading division or units of a military force

2. the leading position in any movement or field, or the people who occupy such a position

   the vanguard of modern literature

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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.

Example Sentences

The Vanguard fund takes an all-cap approach, with 407 names, compared with 59 in the State Street fund.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Founded in Philadelphia and chaired by Jack Bogle, who later founded Vanguard, Wellington merged with Boston’s Thorndike, Doran, Paine & Lewis in 1967.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Large players in the target-date retirement market include Vanguard, Fidelity and Capital Group.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Likewise, Andy’s story starts when a magnate shutters her current job at a newspaper called the New York Vanguard, firing her and her colleagues for a $500-million tax write-off.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Sputnik 2 weighed 1,100 pounds; the heaviest American satellite, Vanguard, weighed 3.5 pounds and had yet to make it off the launch pad.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik