advanced

UK: /ədˈvɑːnst/ US: /ædˈvænst/ ,(ad vanst′, -vänst′)

From the verb advance: (⇒ conjugate)

advanced is: ⓘ

v past

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•vanced /ædˈvænst/   adj. 

1. highly developed:
   an advanced country.
2. beyond the beginning, elementary, or intermediate:
   advanced mathematics.
3. containing progressive ideas:
   advanced theories of child care.
4. far along in time;
   old:
   a person of advanced age.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•vanced  (ad vanst′, -vänst′), adj. 

1. placed ahead or forward:
   with one foot advanced.
2. ahead or far or further along in progress, complexity, knowledge, skill, etc.:
   an advanced class in Spanish;
   to take a course in advanced mathematics;
   Our plans are too advanced to make the change now.
3. pertaining to or embodying ideas, practices, attitudes, etc., taken as being more enlightened or liberal than the standardized, established, or traditional:
   advanced theories of child care; the more advanced members of the artistic community.
4. far along in time:
   the advanced age of most senators.

• 1425–75; late Middle English; see advance, -ed²

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

advanced / ədˈvɑːnst/ adjective

1. being ahead in development, knowledge, progress, etc
2. having reached a comparatively late stage: a man of advanced age
3. ahead of the times

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•vance /ædˈvæns/   v., -vanced, -vanc•ing, n., adj. 
v. 

1. to move, send, or bring forward: [~ + object]
   to advance a deadline; The general advanced his armies to the border.
   [no object]
   The army advanced to the border.
   [no object* (~ + on + object)]
   He advanced on the city.
2. to bring into consideration;
   suggest;
   propose:
   [~ + object] advanced a proposal for a tax cut.
3. [~ + object] to further the development, progress, or prospects of:
   to advance one's interests.
4. to raise in rank;
   promote: [~ + object]
   advanced the soldier from private to corporal.
   [no object]
   The soldier advanced rapidly through the ranks.
5. to increase in rate or amount: [~ + object]
   The central bank quietly advanced interest rates.
   [no object]
   Prices advanced in the last quarter.
6. to furnish or supply on credit:
   [~ + object + object] We advanced her money to buy a new car.
7. to improve or make progress:
   [no object] The economy advanced last year.

n. 

8. [countable] a forward movement:
   the advance of the troops.
9. a development showing progress;
   a step forward;
   improvement;
   advancement:
   [countable] The prize is awarded for advances in science.
10. Usually, advances. [plural]
    • initial steps in forming an acquaintanceship, reaching an agreement, etc.:
      made a few discreet advances toward a corporate merger.
    • sexually suggestive overtones:
      She resisted his advances.
11. Business a rise in price, value, etc:
    [countable] Advances outnumbered declines on the stock market.
12. Business a furnishing of something before an equivalent is received, esp. money or a payment:
    [countable] an advance on one's salary.

adj. [before a noun]

13. going or placed before:
    an advance guard.
14. made, given, or issued ahead of time:
    an advance payment.

Idioms

15. Idioms in advance,
    • Idioms beforehand: Get your tickets in advance.
    • [be + ~ + of + object] better developed
      : These computers are far in advance of the old ones.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•vance  (ad vans′, -väns′), v., -vanced, -vanc•ing, n., adj. 
v.t. 

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.
3. to improve;
   further:
   to advance one's interests.
4. to raise in rank;
   promote:
   The board of directors advanced him to president.
5. to raise in rate or amount;
   increase:
   to advance the price.
6. to bring forward in time;
   accelerate:
   to advance growth; to advance clocks one hour.
7. to supply beforehand;
   furnish on credit or before goods are delivered or work is done.
8. Business to furnish as part of a stock or fund.
9. to supply or pay in expectation of reimbursement:
   They advanced her $5000 against future royalties.
10. to schedule at a later time or date:
    to advance a meeting from early to late fall.
11. Informal Terms to do advance publicity for:
    to advance a rock singer's personal appearances; the most heavily advanced sports event in history.
12. [Archaic.] to raise, as a banner.

v.i. 

13. to move or go forward;
    proceed:
    The troops advanced.
14. to increase in quantity, value, price, etc.:
    His stock advanced three points.
15. (of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move toward or be perceived as moving toward an observer, esp. as giving the illusion of space. Cf. recede¹ (def. 3).
16. to improve or make progress.
17. to grow or rise in importance, status, etc.:
    to advance in rank.
18. Informal Terms to provide publicity;
    do promotion:
    He was hired to advance for a best-selling author.

n. 

19. a forward movement;
    progress in space:
    the advance of the troops to the border.
20. promotion;
    improvement in importance, rank, etc.:
    his advance to the position of treasurer.
21. 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.
22. Business addition to price;
    rise in price:
    an advance on cottons.
23. Business [Com.]
    • Business 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.
    • Business the money or goods thus furnished:
      He received $100 as an advance against future delivery.
24. 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. Cf. release copy.
25. Military the leading body of an army.
26. Military (formerly) the order or a signal to advance.
27. Informal Terms
    • 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.
28. Automotive 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. Cf. retard (def. 5).
29. Geology a seaward movement of the shoreline.
30. in advance, ahead of time;
    beforehand:
    You must get your tickets in advance.
31. in advance of, in front of;
    before:
    Heralds walked in advance of the king.

adj. 

32. going or placed before:
    an advance section of a train.
33. made or given ahead of time:
    an advance payment on a loan.
34. issued ahead of time:
    an advance copy of the President's speech.
35. having gone beyond others or beyond the average.

• Vulgar Latin *abantiāre, verb, verbal derivative of Late Latin abante in front (of ) (Latin ab away from, off + ante before); ad- by mistaking a- for a-⁵ in the 16th cent.
• Anglo-French, Old French avanc(i)er
• Middle English avauncen 1200–50

ad•vanc′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 2. adduce, propound; offer.
• 3. forward, promote.
• 6. force; quicken, hasten, speed up.
• 9. lend, loan.
• 13. Advance, move on, proceed all imply movement forward.
  Advance applies to forward movement, esp. 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.
• 16. thrive, flourish; prosper.
• 20. growth, advancement.
• 21. overture, proposal; offer, tender.
• 24. prepublication.
• 25. spearhead.

Antonyms

• 1, 2. withdraw.
• 13. retreat.
• 17. decrease.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

advance / ədˈvɑːns/ verb

1. to go or bring forward in position
2. (followed by on) to move (towards) in a threatening manner
3. (transitive) to present for consideration; suggest
4. to bring or be brought to a further stage of development; improve; further
5. (transitive) to cause (an event) to occur earlier
6. (transitive) to supply (money, goods, etc) beforehand, either for a loan or as an initial payment
7. to increase (a price, value, rate of occurrence, etc) or (of a price, etc) to be increased
8. (intransitive) to improve one's position; be promoted

noun

1. forward movement; progress in time or space
2. improvement; progress in development
3. the supplying of commodities or funds before receipt of an agreed consideration
4. the commodities or funds supplied in this manner
5. Also called: advance payment a money payment made before it is legally due: this is an advance on your salary
6. a loan of money
7. an increase in price, value, rate of occurrence, etc
8. a less common word for advancement1
9. in advance ⇒ beforehand: payment in advance
10. (followed by of) ahead in time or development: ideas in advance of the time
11. (modifier) forward in position or time: advance booking, an advance warning

Etymology: 15th Century: 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

adˈvancer noun