/ English Dictionary

ADVANCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of moving forward (as toward a goal)

Synonyms:

advance; advancement; forward motion; onward motion; procession; progress; progression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("advance" is a kind of...):

motion; move; movement (the act of changing location from one place to another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "advance"):

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)

Antonym:

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

Derivation:

advance (develop in a positive way)

advance (move forward, also in the metaphorical sense)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Increase in price or value

Example:

the news caused a general advance on the stock market

Synonyms:

advance; rise

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("advance" is a kind of...):

increase; step-up (the act of increasing something)

Derivation:

advance (rise in rate or price)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others

Example:

she rejected his advances

Synonyms:

advance; approach; feeler; overture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("advance" is a kind of...):

proffer; proposition; suggestion (a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A change for the better; progress in development

Synonyms:

advance; betterment; improvement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("advance" is a kind of...):

shift; transformation; transmutation (a qualitative change)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "advance"):

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)

Derivation:

advance (develop in a positive way)

advance (contribute to the progress or growth of)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A movement forward

Example:

he listened for the progress of the troops

Synonyms:

advance; progress; progression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("advance" is a kind of...):

change of location; travel (a movement through space that changes the location of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "advance"):

head; headway (forward movement)

Derivation:

advance (move forward, also in the metaphorical sense)

advance (situated ahead or going before)

Sense 6

Meaning:

An amount paid before it is earned

Synonyms:

advance; cash advance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("advance" is a kind of...):

amount; amount of money; sum; sum of money (a quantity of money)

Derivation:

advance (pay in advance)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Situated ahead or going before

Example:

at that time the most advanced outpost was still east of the Rockies

Synonyms:

advance; advanced; in advance

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

front (relating to or located in the front)

Derivation:

advance (a movement forward)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Being ahead of time or need

Example:

was beforehand with her report

Synonyms:

advance; beforehand

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

early (at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Rise in rate or price

Example:

The stock market gained 24 points today

Synonyms:

advance; gain

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

climb; mount; rise; wax (go up or advance)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The stock market is going to advance

Derivation:

advance (increase in price or value)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Develop in a positive way

Example:

Plans are shaping up

Synonyms:

advance; come along; come on; get along; get on; progress; shape up

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

develop (grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "advance"):

climb (improve one's social status)

leapfrog (progress by large jumps instead of small increments)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

advance (the act of moving forward (as toward a goal))

advance (a change for the better; progress in development)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Increase or raise

Example:

boost the voltage in an electrical circuit

Synonyms:

advance; boost; supercharge

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

increase (make bigger or more)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Develop further

Example:

We are advancing technology every day

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

ameliorate; amend; better; improve; meliorate (to make better)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

advancement (the act of moving forward (as toward a goal))

advancement (gradual improvement or growth or development)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Bring forward for consideration or acceptance

Example:

advance an argument

Synonyms:

advance; throw out

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

advise; propose; suggest (make a proposal, declare a plan for something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Obtain advantages, such as points, etc.

Example:

win points

Synonyms:

advance; gain; gain ground; get ahead; make headway; pull ahead; win

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "advance"):

steal (steal a base)

hit; rack up; score; tally (gain points in a game)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 7

Meaning:

Move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

Example:

Time marches on

Synonyms:

advance; go on; march on; move on; pass on; progress

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "advance"):

elapse; glide by; go along; go by; lapse; pass; slide by; slip away; slip by (pass by)

rachet up; ratchet; ratchet down (move by degrees in one direction only)

edge; inch (advance slowly, as if by inches)

close in; draw in (advance or converge on)

overhaul; overtake; pass (travel past)

string; string along (move or come along)

plough on; press on; push on (continue moving forward)

encroach; impinge; infringe (advance beyond the usual limit)

creep up; sneak up (advance stealthily or unnoticed)

penetrate (make one's way deeper into or through)

forge (move ahead steadily)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

The water advances

Antonym:

recede (pull back or move away or backward)

Derivation:

advance (the act of moving forward (as toward a goal))

advance (a movement forward)

advancement (the act of moving forward (as toward a goal))

advancer (someone who advances)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Cause to move forward

Example:

Can you move the car seat forward?

Synonyms:

advance; bring forward

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "advance"):

nose (advance the forward part of with caution)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

back (cause to travel backward)

Derivation:

advancement (the act of moving forward (as toward a goal))

Sense 9

Meaning:

Move forward

Example:

we have to advance clocks and watches when we travel eastward

Synonyms:

advance; set ahead

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

set (set to a certain position or cause to operate correctly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Pay in advance

Example:

Can you advance me some money?

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

lend; loan (give temporarily; let have for a limited time)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sentence examples:

They advance the money to them

They advance them the money

Derivation:

advance (an amount paid before it is earned)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Give a promotion to or assign to a higher position

Example:

I got promoted after many years of hard work

Synonyms:

advance; elevate; kick upstairs; promote; raise; upgrade

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

assign; delegate; depute; designate (give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "advance"):

brevet (promote somebody by brevet, in the military)

favor; favour; prefer (promote over another)

ennoble; entitle; gentle (give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility)

spot promote (promote on the spot)

bring up (promote from a lower position or rank)

tenure (give life-time employment to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

advancement (encouragement of the progress or growth or acceptance of something)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Contribute to the progress or growth of

Example:

I am promoting the use of computers in the classroom

Synonyms:

advance; boost; encourage; further; promote

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "advance" is one way to...):

back up; support (give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "advance"):

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)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

advance (a change for the better; progress in development)

Credits

 Context examples: 

A certain allelic variant of the NME1 gene is associated with advanced stage neuroblastoma.

(NME1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Advanced stages have an unfavorable prognosis.

(Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)

Here’s your advance of a hundred pounds, and here is the letter.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It includes tumors that are composed of immature round cells and tumors that display advanced differentiation and the formation of ganglion cells.

(Neuroblastic Tumor, NCI Thesaurus)

Then there was room rent, $2.50; another month in advance, $2.50; two months' type-writer, $8.00; a month in advance, $4.00; total, $31.85.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Again I went below; but before I dropped into the lazarette I took the precaution of casting down the door in advance.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Why not advance science in its most difficult and vital aspect—the knowledge of the brain?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

One wolf, long and lean and gray, advanced cautiously, in a friendly manner, and Buck recognized the wild brother with whom he had run for a night and a day.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

It advanced from behind the mountains of Jura, and the thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Until now there has been limited understanding of how the placenta is altered by advanced maternal age.

(Placenta changes could mean male offspring of older mums more likely to develop heart problems in later life, University of Cambridge)

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