advance

English Online Dictionary. What means advance‎? What does advance mean?

English

Alternative forms

• advaunce (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English avauncen, avancen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman avauncier, from Vulgar Latin *abanteāre, from Late Latin ab ante, from Latin ab + ante (“before”). ⟨d⟩ added in analogy to Latin ad- (cf. Middle French advancer). Compare avaunt.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ədˈvɑːns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ədˈvæns/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ədˈvaːns/
• Rhymes: -ɑːns, -æns

Verb

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

1. To promote or advantage.
   1. To help the progress of (something); to further. [from 12th c.]
   2. To raise (someone) in rank or office; to prefer, to promote. [from 14th c.]
2. To move forward in space or time.
   1. To move or push (something) forwards, especially forcefully. [from 14th c.]
   2. To make (something) happen at an earlier time or date; to bring forward, to hasten. [form 15th c.]
   3. (intransitive) To move forwards; to approach. [from 16th c.]
      • 1829, Marchioness of Lemington, Rosina, or the Virtuous Country Maid, Ninth ed.:

        I advanced towards him step by step, stopping sometimes for fear of waking him.
   4. To provide (money or other value) before it is due, or in expectation of some work; to lend. [from 16th c.]
   5. To put forward (an idea, argument etc.); to propose. [from 16th c.]
   6. (intransitive) To make progress; to do well, to succeed. [from 16th c.]
   7. (intransitive) To move forward in time; to progress towards completion. [from 16th c.]
3. To raise, be raised.
   1. (transitive, now archaic) To raise; to lift or elevate. [from 14th c.]
   2. To raise or increase (a price, rate). [from 14th c.]
   3. To increase (a number or amount). [from 16th c.]
   4. (intransitive) To make a higher bid at an auction. [from 18th c.]

Synonyms

• raise, elevate, exalt, aggrandize, improve, heighten, accelerate, allege, adduce, assign

Antonyms

• regress
• retract (in phonetics)
• retreat

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

advance (plural advances)

1. A forward move; improvement or progression.

2. An amount of money or credit, especially given as a loan, or paid before it is due; an advancement.
3. An addition to the price; rise in price or value.

4. (often in the plural) An opening approach or overture, now especially of an unwelcome or sexual nature.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “forward move”): regress, regression

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

advance (comparative more advance, superlative most advance)

1. Completed before necessary or a milestone event.

2. Preceding.

3. Forward.

Derived terms

Translations