Advance

How to spell advance

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce advance

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does advance mean?

1. verbTo move forward, or to help something progress or develop.
2. nounA forward movement or a development that improves something.
3. nounA sum of money paid before it is due, such as part of wages or a fee.
4. adjectiveDone, given, or arranged ahead of time.

Advance in a sentence

• verb

  The troops began to advance toward the ridge at dawn.

• noun

  The latest medical advance has saved many lives.

• noun

  The publisher paid her a generous advance for the manuscript.

• adjective

  Advance booking is recommended for the busy summer season.

• verb

  New funding will advance the research considerably.

• noun

  The enemy advance was halted at the river.

Where does advance come from?

Language of origin: French

This word arrived in English through Old French in the 1200s, where the verb 'avancer' meant to move forward or push ahead. Behind the French lay the Late Latin 'abante', a fusion of 'ab' meaning 'from' and 'ante' meaning 'before', so the literal idea was something coming from in front. The original English forms had no 'd' at all, appearing as 'avauncen', because the French had none either. Scholars later inserted the 'd' in the false belief that the word began with the Latin prefix 'ad-' meaning 'to', which is why we now write advance rather than avance. That mistaken 'd' is the very letter modern spellers must remember, since the ear does not always announce it clearly.

How the word is built

• ad- (forward, to)
• vance (from Latin abante 'from before', via Old French avant); the d was added later by mistaken association with Latin ad-