advance

Etymology

From Old French avancer (French: avancer), from Late Latin abante, from ab + ante ‘before’. The spelling with d was a mistake, a- being supposed to be from Latin ad. Avaunt is an earlier form of the same source-word.

[edit] Pronunciation

• (WEAE) IPA: [ædˈvænts] or [ɛd-], US [əd.væn(t)s], UK [əd.vɑn(t)s]
•  Audio (US)help, file
• Rhymes: -ɑːns

[edit] Verb

to advance (third-person singular simple present advances, present participle advancing, simple past and past participle advanced)

1. To bring forward; to move towards the van or front; to make to go on.

   They . . . advanced their eyelids. —Shakespeare

2. To raise to a higher rank; to promote.
3. To accelerate the growth or progress; to further; to forward; to help on; to aid; to heighten.

   to advance the ripening of fruit

   to advance one's interests

4. To bring to view or notice; to offer or propose; to show.

   to advance an argument

5. To make earlier, as an event or date; to hasten.
6. To furnish, as money or other value, before it becomes due, or in aid of an enterprise; to supply beforehand.

   Merchants often advance money on a contract or on goods consigned to them.

7. To raise to a higher point; to enhance; to raise in rate.

   to advance the price of goods

8. (intransitive) To move forwards, to approach.

[edit] Synonyms

To raise; elevate; exalt; aggrandize; improve; heighten; accelerate; allege; adduce; assign.

[edit] Derived terms

• advancement
• in advance
• in advance of

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

advance (plural advances)

1. A forward move.
2. An amount of money or credit, especially given as a loan, or paid before it is due.
3. (in plural) An opening approach or overture, especially of an unwelcome or sexual nature.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Adjective

advance (comparative more advance, superlative most advance)

1. Completed before need or a milestone event.

   He made an advance payment on the prior shipment to show good faith.

2. Preceding.

   The advance man came a month before the candidate.

3. Forward.

   The scouts found a site for an advance base.