advance

/ədˈvæns/

/ədˈvɑns/

Other forms: advanced; advancing; advances

The experience of having a wild monkey advance on you is pretty scary. The verb advance means "move forward purposefully."

When you move forward, you advance. You can advance a chess piece on a board, advance toward someone across a room, or observe an army as it advances into a country. Advance also means "make progress," as when you advance your knowledge of Spanish by traveling to Ecuador, or "to loan money," which a bank does by making an advance of a thousand dollars. Since the 1700s, to make advances has also meant to make romantic overtures or to flirt.

Definitions of advance

1. verb

   move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
   synonyms: go on, march on, move on, pass on, progress

   antonyms:

   recede

   pull back or move away or backward

   back away, back out, crawfish, crawfish out, pull back, pull in one's horns, retreat, withdraw

   make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity

   types:

   forge

   move ahead steadily

   penetrate

   make one's way deeper into or through

   creep up, sneak up

   advance stealthily or unnoticed

   encroach, impinge, infringe

   advance beyond the usual limit

   plough on, press on, push on

   continue moving forward

   string, string along

   move or come along

   overhaul, overtake, pass

   travel past

   close in, draw in

   advance or converge on

   edge, inch

   advance slowly, as if by inches

   rachet up, ratchet, ratchet down

   move by degrees in one direction only

   elapse, glide by, go along, go by, lapse, pass, slide by, slip away, slip by

   pass by

   get by

   pass or move in front of

   fell, fly, vanish

   pass away rapidly

   clear, top

   pass by, over, or under without making contact

   type of:

   go, locomote, move, travel

   change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
2. verb

   cause to move forward
   synonyms: bring forward

   antonyms:

   back

   cause to travel backward

   back

   travel backward

   types:

   nose

   advance the forward part of with caution

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
3. verb

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

   synonyms: set ahead

   type of:

   set

   set to a certain position or cause to operate correctly
4. verb

   bring forward for consideration or acceptance
   “advance an argument”

   synonyms: throw out

   type of:

   advise, propose, suggest

   make a proposal, declare a plan for something
5. noun

   a movement forward
   synonyms: progress, progression

   types:

   head, headway

   forward movement

   type of:

   change of location, travel

   a movement through space that changes the location of something
6. noun

   the act of moving forward (as toward a goal)
   synonyms: advancement, forward motion, onward motion, procession, progress, progression

   antonyms:

   retreat

   the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)

   types:

   push

   an effort to advance

   career, life history

   the general progression of your working or professional life

   march

   a steady advance

   clear sailing, easy going, plain sailing

   easy unobstructed progress

   leapfrog

   advancing as if in the child's game, by leaping over obstacles or competitors

   type of:

   motion, move, movement

   the act of changing location from one place to another
7. noun

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

   synonyms: approach, feeler, overture

   type of:

   proffer, proposition, suggestion

   a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection
8. adjective

   situated ahead or going before
   “an advance party”

   synonyms: advanced, in advance

   front

   relating to or located in the front
9. noun

   an amount paid before it is earned
   synonyms: cash advance

   type of:

   amount, amount of money, sum, sum of money

   a quantity of money
10. verb

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

    type of:

    lend, loan

    give temporarily; let have for a limited time
11. adjective

    being ahead of time or need
    “gave advance warning”

    synonyms: beforehand

    early

    at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
12. verb

    contribute to the progress or growth of
    synonyms: boost, encourage, further, promote

    types:

    connive at, wink at

    give one's silent approval to

    foster, further

    promote the growth of

    spur

    incite or stimulate

    help

    contribute to the furtherance of

    carry

    take further or advance

    feed

    support or promote

    conduce, contribute, lead

    be conducive to

    type of:

    back up, support

    give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to
13. verb

    develop further
    “We are advancing technology every day”

    type of:

    ameliorate, amend, better, improve, meliorate

    make better
14. verb

    give a promotion to or assign to a higher position
    synonyms: elevate, kick upstairs, promote, raise, upgrade

    types:

    tenure

    give life-time employment to

    bring up

    promote from a lower position or rank

    spot promote

    promote on the spot

    ennoble, entitle, gentle

    give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility

    favor, favour, prefer

    promote or prefer over another

    brevet

    promote somebody by brevet, in the military

    baronetise, baronetize

    confer baronetcy upon

    lord

    make a lord of someone

    dub, knight

    raise (someone) to knighthood

    advantage

    give an advantage to

    type of:

    assign, delegate, depute, designate

    give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)
15. verb

    obtain advantages, such as points, etc.
    synonyms: gain, gain ground, get ahead, make headway, pull ahead, win

    types:

    steal

    steal a base

    hit, rack up, score, tally

    gain points in a game

    par

    make a score (on a hole) equal to par

    shoot

    score

    convert

    score (a spare)

    convert

    complete successfully

    convert

    score an extra point or points after touchdown by kicking the ball through the uprights or advancing the ball into the end zone

    homer

    hit a home run

    kick

    make a goal

    eagle

    shoot in two strokes under par

    hole up

    score a hole in one

    ace

    score an ace against

    walk

    obtain a base on balls

    equalise, equalize, get even

    compensate; make the score equal

    get, have, make

    achieve a point or goal
16. verb

    develop in a positive way
    synonyms: come along, come on, get along, get on, progress, shape up

    types:

    climb

    improve one's social status

    leapfrog

    progress by large jumps instead of small increments

    type of:

    develop

    grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment
17. noun

    a change for the better; progress in development
    synonyms: betterment, improvement

    types:

    renaissance, resurgence, revitalisation, revitalization, revival, revivification

    bringing again into activity and prominence

    elaboration, refinement

    the result of improving something

    accommodation, adjustment, fitting

    making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances

    conservation, preservation

    an occurrence of improvement by virtue of preventing loss or injury or other change

    recovery

    return to an original state

    readjustment

    the act of adjusting again (to changed circumstances)

    domestication

    accommodation to domestic life

    habituation

    a general accommodation to unchanging environmental conditions

    Renaissance, Renascence, rebirth, renaissance

    the revival of learning and culture

    regeneration

    the activity of spiritual or physical renewal

    resurrection

    a revival from inactivity and disuse

    resuscitation

    the act of reviving a person and returning them to consciousness

    shakedown

    initial adjustments to improve the functioning or the efficiency and to bring to a more satisfactory state

    type of:

    shift, transformation, transmutation

    a qualitative change
18. verb

    increase or raise
    synonyms: boost, supercharge

    type of:

    increase

    make bigger or more
19. verb

    rise in rate or price
    synonyms: gain

    type of:

    climb, mount, rise, wax

    go up or advance
20. noun

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

    synonyms: rise

    type of:

    increase, step-up

    the act of increasing something