advance

1 of 3

verb

ad·​vance əd-ˈvan(t)s How to pronounce advance (audio)
advanced; advancing

transitive verb

1
: to accelerate the growth or progress of
advance a cause
2
: to bring or move forward
advance a pawn
3
: to raise to a higher rank
was advanced from clerk to assistant manager
4
archaic : to lift up : raise
5
: to bring forward in time
especially : to make earlier
advance the date of the meeting
6
: to bring forward for notice, consideration, or acceptance : propose
advance an idea
7
: to supply or furnish in expectation of repayment
advance a loan
8
: to raise in rate : increase
advance the rent

intransitive verb

1
: to move forward : proceed
an advancing army
2
: to make progress : increase
advance in age
3
: to rise in rank, position, or importance
advance through the ranks
4
: to rise in rate or price
advancing wages
advancer noun

advance

2 of 3

noun

1
: a moving forward
halted the enemy's advances
2
a
: progress in development
… mistaking material advance for spiritual enrichment.H. J. Laski
b
: a progressive step : improvement
an advance in medical technique
3
: a rise in price, value, or amount
The workers won wage advances.
4
: a first step or approach made (as to gain favor or form an acquaintance)
especially : the act of speaking to someone in an effort to start a sexual relationship
usually plural
She rejected his advances.
The report alleges that the supervisor repeatedly made unwanted/improper sexual advances towards subordinates.
5
: a provision of something (such as money or goods) before a return is received
I need an advance on my salary.
also : the money or goods supplied
received a $100,000 advance on his new book

advance

3 of 3

adjective

1
: made, sent, or furnished ahead of time
advance sales
2
: going or situated before
an advance party of soldiers
Phrases
in advance
1
: to, toward, or in a place or position ahead
sent scouts out in advance
2
: before a deadline or an anticipated event
made reservations in advance
in advance of
: ahead of
made preparations several days in advance of her arrival
Choose the Right Synonym for advance

advance, promote, forward, further mean to help (someone or something) to move ahead.

advance stresses effective assisting in hastening a process or bringing about a desired end.

advance the cause of peace

promote suggests an encouraging or fostering and may denote an increase in status or rank.

a campaign to promote better health

forward implies an impetus forcing something ahead.

a wage increase would forward productivity

further suggests a removing of obstacles in the way of a desired advance.

used the marriage to further his career

Examples of advance in a Sentence

Verb The car advanced slowly down the street. The sun slowly advanced across the sky. She opened the door and advanced cautiously into the room. advance the hands of a clock The film is advanced by an electric motor. The team advanced the ball steadily down the field. Our understanding of this disease has advanced rapidly in recent years. The team did not advance beyond the first round of the play-offs. The company tries to keep up with advancing technology. As he advanced in age and stature he advanced in knowledge. Noun trying to halt the enemy's advance trying to halt the enemy's advances a big advance in technology The new system represents a considerable advance over the old one. There have been few advances made in the treatment of this disease. There has been little advance made in the treatment of this disease. The workers won wage advances. a yearlong advance in stock prices Adjective an advance copy of a new book
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Led by Khan, the FTC in 2022 sued to block Meta from buying game developer Within in a lawsuit advancing relatively untested and novel theories arguing that antitrust laws account for actions taken by a firm that is not yet a monopolist but is positioned to become one. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Whether targeting TikTok will advance that purpose is doubtful in the extreme. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The other way to support our mission is to make a tax-deductible gift to National Review Institute, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit journalistic think tank our founder, William F. Buckley Jr., created to advance and defend conservative ideas. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 14 Mar. 2024 Identifying the most flagrant violators of local and state law is critical to advancing justice for every Californian. Suzanne Dershowitz, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 It was introduced last week and advanced out of committee at lightning speed by a unanimous vote. Makena Kelly, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 The progressive activists who advanced civil rights for Black Americans argued that in a society that used race against Black Americans for most of our history, colorblindness is a goal. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Legislation to expand Michigan's Freedom of Information Act to include both the governor's office and state Legislature is advancing, after members of the Senate Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to report bills to the full Senate floor for consideration. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 Navarro, who entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and world No. 26, advanced to the semifinals of San Diego’s WTA 500 event for the second straight year with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Daria Saville on Friday afternoon. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
The testers get the puzzles about three to four weeks in advance. Saira Mueller, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Riders must wear helmets and sign a waiver but do not need to register in advance. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 Finally, aside from such advances in chip technology and autonomous coverage rollouts in China, Asian brands will clearly not be content to stay in their home countries. Mark Andrews, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 Friend of the Festival packages (advance ticket packages), which include reservations for indoor conversations, weekend parking and festival merchandise are available for purchase now. Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Around the corner, Federer and his wife fended off a strange advance from a TV star who won’t be named. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Zelenskyy said that recent Russian advances have been halted and that the battlefield situation is now significantly better than in the past three months. Jim Heintz and Hanna Arhirova, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 Beginning May 1, the booking window for overnight lodging will be shorted to six months and reservation changes and cancellations cannot be made more than five months in advance. Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 Owner Garrett Rohwer said in typical diner fashion, the pie was commonly ordered by the slice, but a whole one can be ordered in advance by calling Margie's Kitchen at 520-232-3202. The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Capacity will be limited with advance registration and timed ticketing. Sarah Murphy, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024 At the dinner, the two men, along with others gathered, discussed starting an AI lab that would be transparent, open-source, and dedicated to democratizing the benefits of advance artificial intelligence. Steve Mollman, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2023 While many of the stops are within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, and leaf peeping, those looking to go a little farther can bring a bicycle on board for an additional fee ($3 to $8 per ride), with advance registration. Patricia Harris and David Lyon, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023 The plaintiffs in Wednesday's suit allege that, unlike the 2019 Florida show, there was no advance notice of the late start, leaving concertgoers hung up waiting for the December show to start. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2024 The event will take place from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public with advance registration at jimirsaycollection.com. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 2 Dec. 2023 An article on Friday about Israel’s accusations that several freelance photographers for major news organizations had advance knowledge of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, based on information from an editor at The Times, misstated when Yousef Masoud woke to the sound of rocket fire. New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023 Admission is free but advance registration is requested. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 While advance tickets have been claimed, free tickets will be available at the box office at the Kennedy Center’s Hall of States beginning at 11 a.m. Noon. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'advance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English advauncen, alteration (with initial a- taken as assimilated form of Latin ad- ad-) of avauncen, borrowed from Anglo-French avancer, going back to Vulgar Latin *abantiāre, verbal derivative of Latin abante "before, in front," from ab- ab- + ante "before" — more at ante-

Noun

derivative of advance entry 1 (or borrowed from French avance, going back to Middle French, noun derivative of avancer)

Adjective

derivative of advance entry 2

First Known Use

Verb

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Adjective

1701, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of advance was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near advance

Cite this Entry

“Advance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

advance

1 of 3 verb
ad·​vance əd-ˈvan(t)s How to pronounce advance (audio)
advanced; advancing
1
: to move forward
advance a few yards
2
: to help the progress of
sacrifices that advance the cause of freedom
3
: to raise to a higher rank or position : promote
was advanced from clerk to assistant manager
4
: to give and expect to be paid back
advance a loan
5
: suggest sense 1, propose
advance a new plan
advancer noun

advance

2 of 3 noun
1
: a forward movement
2
: progress in development : improvement
recent advances in medicine
3
: a rise in price, value, or amount
4
: a first step or approach
an unfriendly look discourages advances
5
a
: the giving of something in payment (as money) before goods or services are received
I need an advance on my salary
b
: the money or goods given

advance

3 of 3 adjective
1
: made, sent, or furnished ahead of time
an advance payment
2
: going or situated before
an advance guard
an advance scout

Legal Definition

advance

1 of 2 transitive verb
ad·​vance
advanced; advancing
: to supply or provide ahead of time: as
a
: to give (a gift) by way of or as an advancement
b
: to supply (as money) beforehand in expectation of repayment or other future adjustment

advance

2 of 2 noun
: a provision of something (as goods or money) before a return is received
also : the money or goods supplied

More from Merriam-Webster on advance

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