Advanced

How to spell advanced

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce advanced

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does advanced mean?

1. adjectiveFar on in development, progress, or difficulty; beyond the elementary stage.
2. verbMoved forward, progressed, or put forward an idea or sum of money (past tense of advance).

Advanced in a sentence

• adjective

  The course offers an advanced module for experienced programmers.

• verb

  The team advanced steadily towards the final deadline.

• adjective

  The clinic uses advanced imaging equipment to detect early problems.

• verb

  The bank advanced the funds before the contract was signed.

Where does advanced come from?

Language of origin: French

This word traces back to the Latin phrase ab ante, meaning 'from before', which gave Old French its verb avancer, 'to move forward'. When English borrowed it in the 1300s, scribes mistakenly assumed the opening a- came from the Latin prefix ad-, meaning 'to' or 'towards', and so they inserted a d that was never historically there, giving us 'advance'. The adjective 'advanced' is simply the past-participle form pressed into service to describe something that has been carried forward, whether in time, progress, or development. Over the centuries the sense broadened from purely physical forward movement to abstract progress, so today we speak of advanced study, advanced age, or advanced technology. The intrusive d that mid-spellers may want to drop is the spelling's main quirk, and remembering its mistaken Latin 'fix' explains why it sits there.

How the word is built

• ad- (to, towards)
• vance (from Latin abante: from before)
• -ed (past participle/adjective suffix)