vanguard

noun

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

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

• pioneer
• underground
• avant-garde

Examples of vanguard in a Sentence

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

The oysterman has been catapulted onto the national stage as part of a vanguard of progressive, young candidates who have gained widespread support by appealing to working class voters. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025

The San Francisco 49ers, vanguards of the outside zone run game, cannot run the ball. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025

Although the West has humanoid robotics players such as Boston Dynamics and Tesla, China occupies the industry’s vanguard thanks to its huge market, a mature industrial base of chips, sensors, and batteries, as well as robust state support. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Oct. 2025

He’s so far collaborated with acts like Ecco2k and Xaviersobased, themselves vanguards of the underground-rap scene. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

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

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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

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"