advance

[ ad-vans, -vahns ]
See synonyms for: advanceadvancedadvancesadvancing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ad·vanced, ad·vanc·ing.
  1. to move or bring forward: The general advanced his troops to the new position.

  2. to bring into consideration or notice; suggest; propose: to advance reasons for a tax cut.

  1. to improve; further: to advance one's interests.

  2. to raise in rank; promote: The board of directors advanced him to president.

  3. to raise in rate or amount; increase: to advance the price.

  4. to bring forward in time; accelerate: to advance growth;to advance clocks one hour.

  5. to supply beforehand; furnish on credit or before goods are delivered or work is done.

  6. to furnish as part of a stock or fund.

  7. to supply or pay in expectation of reimbursement: They advanced her $5000 against future royalties.

  8. to schedule at a later time or date: to advance a meeting from early to late fall.

  9. Informal. to do advance publicity for: to advance a rock singer's personal appearances;the most heavily advanced sports event in history.

  10. Archaic. to raise, as a banner.

verb (used without object),ad·vanced, ad·vanc·ing.
  1. to move or go forward; proceed: The troops advanced.

  2. to increase in quantity, value, price, etc.: His stock advanced three points.

  1. (of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move toward or be perceived as moving toward an observer, especially as giving the illusion of space.: Compare recede1 (def. 3).

  2. to improve or make progress.

  3. to grow or rise in importance, status, etc.: to advance in rank.

  4. Informal. to provide publicity; do promotion: He was hired to advance for a best-selling author.

noun
  1. a forward movement; progress in space: the advance of the troops to the border.

  2. promotion; improvement in importance, rank, etc.: his advance to the position of treasurer.

  1. Usually advances.

    • attempts at forming an acquaintanceship, reaching an agreement, or the like, made by one party.

    • actions or words intended to be sexually inviting.

  2. addition to price; rise in price:an advance on cottons.

  3. Commerce.

    • a giving beforehand; a furnishing of something before an equivalent is received: An advance on his next month's salary permitted him to pay his debt on time.

    • the money or goods thus furnished: He received $100 as an advance against future delivery.

  4. Journalism.

    • copy prepared before the event it describes has occurred: The morning papers carried advances on the ceremony, which will take place tonight.

    • a press release, wire-service dispatch, or the like, as one containing the text or partial text of a speech, sent to arrive in advance of the event to which it is related.: Compare release copy.

  5. the leading body of an army.

  6. Military. (formerly) the order or a signal to advance.

  7. Informal.

    • publicity done before the appearance of a noted person, a public event, etc.: She was hired to do advance for the candidate.

    • a person hired to do advance publicity for an event: He is regarded as the best advance in the business.

  8. Automotive, Machinery. an adjustment made in the setting of the distributor of an internal-combustion engine to generate the spark for ignition in each cylinder earlier in the cycle.: Compare retard (def. 5).

  9. Geology. a seaward movement of the shoreline.

adjective
  1. going or placed before: an advance section of a train.

  2. made or given ahead of time: an advance payment on a loan.

  1. issued ahead of time: an advance copy of the president's speech.

  2. having gone beyond others or beyond the average.

Idioms about advance

  1. in advance, ahead of time; beforehand: You must get your tickets in advance.

  2. in advance of, in front of; before: Heralds walked in advance of the king.

Origin of advance

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English avauncen, from Anglo-French, Old French avanc(i)er, from Vulgar Latin abantiāre (unrecorded), verb derived from Late Latin abante “in front (of),” from Latin ab “away from, off” + ante “before”; ad- by mistaking a- for a-5 in the 16th century

synonym study For advance

13. Advance, move on, proceed all imply movement forward. Advance applies to forward movement, especially toward an objective: to advance to a platform. Proceed emphasizes movement, as from one place to another, and often implies continuing after a halt: to proceed on one's journey. Move on is similar in meaning to proceed; it does not, however, imply a definite goal: The crowd was told to move on.

Other words for advance

Opposites for advance

Other words from advance

  • ad·vanc·ing·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·ad·vance, verb, o·ver·ad·vanced, o·ver·ad·vanc·ing, noun
  • un·ad·vanc·ing, adjective

Words Nearby advance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use advance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for advance

advance

/ (ədˈvɑːns) /


verb
  1. to go or bring forward in position

  2. (foll by on) to move (towards) in a threatening manner

  1. (tr) to present for consideration; suggest

  2. to bring or be brought to a further stage of development; improve; further

  3. (tr) to cause (an event) to occur earlier

  4. (tr) to supply (money, goods, etc) beforehand, either for a loan or as an initial payment

  5. to increase (a price, value, rate of occurrence, etc) or (of a price, etc) to be increased

  6. (intr) to improve one's position; be promoted: he advanced rapidly in his job

  7. (tr) archaic to promote in rank, status, or position

noun
  1. forward movement; progress in time or space

  2. improvement; progress in development

  1. commerce

    • the supplying of commodities or funds before receipt of an agreed consideration

    • the commodities or funds supplied in this manner

    • (as modifier): an advance supply

  2. Also called: advance payment a money payment made before it is legally due: this is an advance on your salary

  3. a loan of money

  4. an increase in price, value, rate of occurrence, etc

  5. a less common word for advancement (def. 1)

  6. in advance

    • beforehand: payment in advance

    • (foll by of) ahead in time or development: ideas in advance of the time

  7. (modifier) forward in position or time: advance booking; an advance warning

Origin of advance

1
C15: advauncen, altered (on the model of words beginning with Latin ad-) from C13 avauncen, via Old French from Latin abante from before, from ab- away from + ante before

Derived forms of advance

  • advancer, noun
  • advancingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with advance

advance

see in advance; make advances.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.