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.
Some see it as in effect the end of the Syrian uprising that began with peaceful protests against Assad’s police state in 2011, with opposition fighters working to advance Turkey’s interests at the expense of the revolution’s goals.2018 January 26, Kareem Shaheen, The Guardian:
2
To raise (someone) in rank or office; to prefer, to promote.
After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Esther 3:1:
This, however, was in time evaded by the monarchs, who advanced certain of their own retainers to a level with the ancient peers of the land[…]1838, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: American Stationers’ Company; John B. Russell, →OCLC:
› To move forward in space or time.
3
To move or push (something) forwards, especially forcefully.
Whence and what art thou, execrable shape, / That dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance / Thy miscreated front athwart my way / To yonder gates?1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
4
To make (something) happen at an earlier time or date; to bring forward, to hasten.
[S]in and sorrow it were, considering the hardships of this noble and gallant knight, no whit mentioning or weighing those we ourselves have endured, if we were now either to advance or retard the hour of refection beyond the time when the viands are fit to be set before us.1820 March, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in The Monastery. A Romance. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Co., and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, page 95:
5
To move forwards; to approach.
I advanced towards him step by step, stopping sometimes for fear of waking him.1829, Marchioness of Lemington, Rosina, or the Virtuous Country Maid, Ninth ed.
This army recaptured Wu-chʻang, on the right bank of the Yangtze, in 1854, reached Chen-chiang four years later, advanced to Chiu-chiang and threatened Nanking.2003, C.J. Shane, editor, China (The History of Nations), Greenhaven Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 67:
6
To provide (money or other value) before it is due, or in expectation of some work; to lend.
“I had intended to ask you to advance me a hundred pounds,” said Phineas.1869, Anthony Trollope, Phineas Finn:
On the urgent representations of several parties of the first importance in the City of London, the bank advanced 120,000l. to the Governor and Company of the Copper Miners […].1871, James William Gilbart, The Principles and Practice of Banking:
7
To put forward (an idea, argument etc.); to propose.
Some ne'er advance a Judgement of their own, / But catch the spreading notion of the Town […].1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:
Ghosts, it is advanced, either do not exist at all, or else, like the stars at noonday, they are there all the time and it is we who cannot see them. The stories in the following pages were written on the second of these assumptions.1935, Oliver Onions, “Credo”, in The Collected Ghost Stories:
8
To make progress; to do well, to succeed.
Earlier the caller said men were more likely to be in senior positions. Clegg says that's partly because the current maternity leave arrangements make it difficult for women to advance in the workplace.2014 April 24, Andrew Sparrow, The Guardian:
9
To move forward in time; to progress towards completion.
I can promise you that you will feel even less humorous as the evening advances.1927, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes:
The fringed Curtaines of thine eyes aduance.1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
11
To raise or increase (a price, rate).
In February last […] bakers advanced the price of bread sold over the counter in London from 8d. to 8½d. per quartern loaf.1924 July 16, The Times:
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.
1
A forward move; improvement or progression.
an advance in health or knowledge
an advance in rank or office
2
An amount of money or credit, especially given as a loan, or paid before it is due; an advancement.
Could he ask the cashier privately for an advance? No, the cashier was no good, no damn good: he wouldn't give an advance.1904–1907 (date written), James Joyce, “Counterparts”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC, page 109:
I shall, with pleasure, make the necessary advances.1780, John Jay, letter dated November 21:
3
An addition to the price; rise in price or value.
an advance on the prime cost of goods
4
In plural, Often An opening approach or overture, now especially of an unwelcome or sexual nature.
For, if it were of any use to recall matters of fact, what is more notorious, than that prince's applying himself first to the church of England? and upon their refusal to fall in with his measures, making the like advances to the dissenters of all kinds, who readily and almost universally complied with him1708, Jonathan Swift, The Sentiments of a Church of England Man with Respect to Religion and Government:
And so saying he scampered off to the hill, to the amusement of honest Plat; and it is likely lost no time in making his advances to the young widow.1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 198:
4 more examples
As the sun fell, so did our spirits. I had tried to make advances to the girl again; but she would have none of me, and so I was not only thirsty but otherwise sad and downhearted.1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter IV, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:
I felt vaguely he was a sneak, and remained quite unmollified by advances on his side, which, in a boy's barbarous fashion, unless it suited me to be magnanimous, I haughtily ignored.1923, Walter de la Mare, Seaton's Aunt:
[A]nd Rosamund though quite a genteelly brought up young lady had responded to his advances by slapping his face.1945, Tom Ronan, Strangers on the Ophir, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 59:
In public he put on a performance that was at once outraged and outrageous, but usually he did not carry grudges into his private life. Exuding the backslapping air of a socializer who loved to gamble and drink, he could not understand why people whose careers he had ruined and publicly ridiculed would be hostile to his friendly advances.1983 August 13, John Kyper, “Flamboyant Inquisitor”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 5, page 14:
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.
1
Completed before necessary or a milestone event.
He made an advance payment on the prior shipment to show good faith.
In general, if you are applying for adjustment of status (a Green Card) and leave the United States without the appropriate travel documentation (for example, an advance parole document), you may not be allowed to reenter the United States when you return.2024 January 15, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), “Green Card”, in USCIS, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, retrieved 24 Jan 2025, Travel Documents:
2
Preceding.
The advance man came a month before the candidate.