vanguard

1 of 2

noun (1)

van·​guard ˈvan-ˌgärd 

also ˈvaŋ-

1

: the forefront of an action or movement

2

: the troops moving at the head of an army

vanguardism

ˈvan-ˌgär-ˌdi-zəm 

also ˈvaŋ-

noun

vanguardist

ˈvan-ˌgär-dist 

also ˈvaŋ-

noun

vanguardism

2 of 2

noun (2)

van·​guard·​ism -ˌdizəm 

plural -s

: the attitudes, ideas, or activities of persons regarding themselves as members of a vanguard

Did you know?

Vanguard comes from Anglo-French avantgarde, from avant, meaning "before," and garde, "guard." In medieval times, avantgarde referred to the troops that marched at the head of the army. In time, vanguard marched its way as a word for the group of people who are the leaders of an action or movement in society, politics, art, etc.

Synonyms of vanguard

Noun (1)

• pioneer
• underground
• avant-garde

Examples of vanguard in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a style of jazz that the vanguard quickly recognized as new and exciting

talk radio is often regarded as being in the vanguard of the conservative movement

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In it, Rocío, played by Rocío Molina, a leading light of the international flamenco vanguard, returns to her Ebro Delta home to attend the funeral of her mother, a bastion of traditional flamenco. — John Hopewell, Variety, 18 June 2026

Linklater was a vanguard of the indie film movement of the 1990s. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026

If experimental and vanguard poetry is set on fragmenting the lyric I, verse plays and poet’s theater redistribute it. — Literary Hub, 29 May 2026

Most notably, the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab or CSAIL, directed capably by my colleague Daniela Rus, is in there, where intrepid teams work on such vanguard projects as liquid AI models. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English vauntgard, borrowed from Anglo-French vantgarde, avantgarde, from avant- "fore-" (from avant "before," going back to Late Latin abante) + garde guard entry 1 — more at advance entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing vanguard

• at the vanguard
• the vanguard

Rhymes for vanguard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

vanguard

noun

van·​guard ˈvan-ˌgärd 

1

: the troops moving at the head of an army

2

: the forefront of an action or movement

Etymology

Noun

Middle English vauntgard "the troops moving at the head of an army," from early French vantgarde, avantgarde (same meaning), derived from avant- "fore-, in front" and garde "guard"