Skip to content

advance

/ədˈvæns/noun, verb, adjective2 syllables

Advance means: the act of moving forward (as toward a goal).

Synonyms for advance45

noun, as in the act of moving forward (as toward a goal)

progress, progression, procession, advancement, forward motion, onward motion

noun, as in a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others

overture, approach, feeler

noun, as in a movement forward

noun, as in a change for the better; progress in development

improvement, betterment

noun, as in an amount paid before it is earned

cash advance

noun, as in increase in price or value

verb, as in obtain advantages, such as points, etc.

gain, win, pull ahead, make headway, get ahead, gain ground

verb, as in develop in a positive way

progress, come on, come along, get on, get along, shape up

verb, as in move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

progress, pass on, move on, march on, go on

verb, as in give a promotion to or assign to a higher position

promote, upgrade, kick upstairs, raise, elevate

verb, as in contribute to the progress or growth of

verb, as in increase or raise

boost, supercharge

verb, as in bring forward for consideration or acceptance

throw out

verb, as in cause to move forward

bring forward

verb, as in move forward

set ahead

verb, as in rise in rate or price

adjective, as in situated ahead or going before

advanced, in advance, front

adjective, as in being ahead of time or need

Opposites of advance

retreat, recede, back

What does advance mean?20

noun

1

the act of moving forward (as toward a goal)

2

a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others“she rejected his advances”

3

a movement forward“he listened for the progress of the troops”

4

a change for the better; progress in development

5

an amount paid before it is earned

6

increase in price or value“the news caused a general advance on the stock market”

verb

1

obtain advantages, such as points, etc.“The home team was gaining ground”

2

develop in a positive way“He progressed well in school”

3

move forward, also in the metaphorical sense“Time marches on”

4

give a promotion to or assign to a higher position“John was kicked upstairs when a replacement was hired”

5

contribute to the progress or growth of“I am promoting the use of computers in the classroom”

6

increase or raise“boost the voltage in an electrical circuit”

7

bring forward for consideration or acceptance“advance an argument”

8

cause to move forward“Can you move the car seat forward?”

9

move forward“we have to advance clocks and watches when we travel eastward”

10

rise in rate or price“The stock market gained 24 points today”

11

develop further“We are advancing technology every day”

12

pay in advance“Can you advance me some money?”

adjective

1

situated ahead or going before“an advance party”

2

being ahead of time or need“gave advance warning”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with advance?11

Show 40 near rhymes

Advance in a sentence

  • Just to warn you in advance, today's blog is no fun.CM
  • What's more, you can only buy train tickets one week in advance.eastasiastudent
  • A truce if we stay; if we leave or advance, war.mhenderson5
  • Even if you move back, you advance towards death.kaiperkins271
  • You're going to have to pay in advance, aren't you?CK
  • I wanted to advance, but the job really went nowhere.mccarras
  • If you buy tickets in advance, they're cheaper.CK
  • Firefighters get dressed quickly, because they have their clothes ready in advance.DJ_Saidez

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of advance

as a noun

plural
advances

as a verb

past tense
advanced
present participle
advancing
third-person singular
advances