advance

verb

ad·vance | \ əd-ˈvan(t)s

advanced; advancing

Definition of advance

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

advance

noun

Definition of advance (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : a moving forward halted the enemy's advances

2a : 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 Her attitude discouraged all advances.

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

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

advance

adjective

Definition of advance (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : made, sent, or furnished ahead of time advance sales

2 : going or situated before an advance party of soldiers

Other Words from advance Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about advance

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Choose the Right Synonym for advance

Verb

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

Mercedes showed off the cute robot as part of its ESF 2019 safety concept, along with nearly a dozen other advanced, forward-thinking future safety features. — Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, "If You Crash a Mercedes-Benz in the Future, It Could Deploy a Robot to Warn Other Drivers," 21 May 2019 Incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who famously voted to advance Brett Kavanaugh's nomination won a race some were worried about in a state that's pretty Trump-friendly. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "2018 Midterm Congressional Election Results: Which Party Is Winning the House and the Senate?," 7 Nov. 2018 An exception came with Murkowski, a crucial swing vote who voted not to advance the embattled nominee ahead. — Julyssa Lopez, Glamour, "Brett Kavanaugh Has Been Confirmed to the Supreme Court," 6 Oct. 2018 Mosqueda’s energy committee questioned Smith twice this past month and then voted 3-0 to advance her nomination. — Daniel Beekman, The Seattle Times, "Seattle City Council confirms Debra Smith as new City Light boss in wake of billing problems," 1 Oct. 2018 As climate change has advanced, the cost of insuring and rebuilding property has skyrocketed. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Flood insurance is broken," 20 Sep. 2018 Yet talking to The Economist in his office in the finance ministry, the centrist former mayor of Hamburg advances a different strategy. — The Economist, "An interview with Germany’s finance minister, Olaf Scholz," 12 July 2018 The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted to advance Robert Wilkie’s nomination as VA secretary to the full Senate. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Leaked recordings of Ga. governor candidate highlight why people mistrust politicians," 11 July 2018 With advancing age, senescent cells take the wheel, and the human body careens into disease states ranging from cancer and diabetes to arthritis, vision loss and dementia. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "This drug cocktail reduced signs of age-related diseases and extended life in mice and human cells," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Tickets to the Anne Frank House sell out months in advance, but a handful of tickets are released on the museum's website each day. — Jaimie Potters, Marie Claire, "Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore in Amsterdam," 29 May 2019 Make this ultimate salad meets sandwich combo for a picnic a few hours in advance. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Grilled Chicken Caesar Baguette," 20 May 2019 Outfits are prepped months in advance, dresses are custom designed, and grand entrances are planned. — Glamour, "Every Drugstore Steal Celebrities Wore to the 2019 Met Gala," 7 May 2019 But that didn’t stop the ARMY from fantasizing about what looks the guys would have pulled out — even in advance. — Sara Delgado, Teen Vogue, "BTS, Rihanna, and Ashley Tisdale Didn't Attend Met Gala 2019 — But They Did Get Photoshopped Onto the Pink Carpet," 7 May 2019 Lady Gaga is co-hosting the Met Gala on May 6, 2019, and she's been showcasing several incredible outfits in advance. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Lady Gaga's Extra AF Pre-Met Gala Outfit Features a Teeny Tiny Handbag," 6 May 2019 Jia and the company asked for a $700 million advance on the remaining $1.2 billion, which Evergrande initially agreed to. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "Federal court freezes Faraday Future CEO’s ownership stake, California mansions," 14 Dec. 2018 More than 4,000 American soldiers died here in the summer of 1918 in the Second Battle of the Marne, stopping the German advance on Paris. — Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, "A Luxurious Barge Cruise Is the Best Way to See France," 9 Aug. 2018 In the fourth, Gausman allowed a single, hit a batter and let both runners advance on a wild pitch before Jorge Alfaro doubled over right fielder Mark Trumbo's head to double the Phillies' advantage. — Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Gausman battered, comeback bid falls short in Orioles' 5-4 loss to Phillies," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

But the carrier charges fees for nearly everything beyond boarding the plane; advance seat-assignments and food and beverages cost extra. — Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY, "February route roundup: Where airlines are adding (or cutting) service," 25 Feb. 2018 The measure would close a loophole that drug traffickers exploit: While private shippers like FedEx and UPS are required to obtain advance electronic information on most shipments, the Postal Service is not. — Matthew Garcia, Washington Post, "What A U.S.-China Trade War Could Mean For The Opioid Epidemic," 9 July 2018 To avoid a catastrophe like Gold King, EPA officials now require advance approval for work on many mining sites. — Matthew Brown, The Seattle Times, "50M gallons of polluted water pours daily from US mine sites," 20 Feb. 2019 Particularly notable were his drives to rein in Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, advance civil rights and set up a system for postwar geopolitical governance. — Amity Shlaes, WSJ, "‘The Improbable Wendell Willkie’ Review: The Great Disruptor," 13 Sep. 2018 The measure would close a loophole that drug traffickers exploit: While private shippers like FedEx and UPS are required to obtain advance electronic information on most shipments, the Postal Service is not. — Matthew Garcia, Washington Post, "What A U.S.-China Trade War Could Mean For The Opioid Epidemic," 9 July 2018 The measure would close a loophole that drug traffickers exploit: While private shippers like FedEx and UPS are required to obtain advance electronic information on most shipments, the Postal Service is not. — Matthew Garcia, Washington Post, "What A U.S.-China Trade War Could Mean For The Opioid Epidemic," 9 July 2018 Special counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating the whether people close to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign had advance knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans. — Michael Balsamo, The Seattle Times, "House GOP campaign arm targeted by ‘unknown entity’ in 2018," 4 Dec. 2018 Then, when questions were raised about Stone’s claims to have advance knowledge of Assange’s plans, Stone put out a story that all his contact with WikiLeaks in 2016 was actually through an intermediary: Credico. — Andrew Prokop, Vox, "Robert Mueller’s investigators just keep questioning Roger Stone’s associates," 11 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'advance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for advance

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-