advance

1 noun

1 in advance before something happens or is expected to happen: I should warn you in advance, we may be delayed. | six months/a year in advance: Rent is payable three months in advance.

(+ of): Could you distribute copies well in advance of the meeting?

2 DEVELOPMENT/IMPROVEMENT (C) a change, discovery, or invention that brings progress: His book argues that there have been major advances for women since 1945.

(+ in): Recent advances in biotechnology have raised moral questions.

3 FORWARD MOVEMENT (C) forward movement or progress: the army's advance

4 MONEY (countable usually singular) money paid to someone before the usual time

5 advances (plural) an attempt to start a friendly or sexual relationship with someone: make advances: She accused her boss of making advances to her.

6 INCREASE (C) technical an increase in the price or value of something: a further big advance in the price of gold

2 verb

1 MOVE (I) to move forward, especially in a slow and determined way: advance on (=move forward in order to attack): Troops advanced on the rebel stronghold.

(+ across/through/towards): The army slowly advanced across the frozen tundra.

2 DEVELOP (I) if something such as technical or scientific knowledge advances, it develops and improves: Our understanding of human genetics has advanced considerably.

3 advance a plan/idea/proposal etc formal to suggest a plan etc so that other people can consider it: A similar plan was advanced by the British delegation.

4 MONEY (T) to give someone money before they have earned it: advance sb sth: Will they advance you some money until your get your first paycheck?

5 advance a cause/your interests/your career etc to do something that will help you achieve advantage of success

6 PRICE (I) technical if the price or value of something advances, it increases in amount: Oil shares advanced today in heavy trading.

7 CHANGE TIME (T) formal to change the time when an event should happen to an earlier time or date: The time of the meeting has been advanced to ten o'clock.

8 FILM/CLOCK (T) formal if you advance a film, clock etc, you make it go forward

-see also: advancing 3 adjective

1 advance planning/warning/booking etc planning etc that is done before an event: We received no advance warning of the storm.

2 advance party/team a group of people who go first to a place where something will happen to prepare for it