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Advance

1. The act of advancing or moving forward or upward; progress.

2. Improvement or progression, physically, mentally, morally, or socially; as, an advance in health, knowledge, or religion; an advance in rank or office.

3. An addition to the price; rise in price or value; as, an advance on the prime cost of goods.

4. The first step towards the attainment of a result; approach made to gain favor, to form an acquaintance, to adjust a difference, etc.; an overture; a tender; an offer; usually in the plural. [He] made the like advances to the dissenters. (Swift)

5. A furnishing of something before an equivalent is received (as money or goods), towards a capital or stock, or on loan; payment beforehand; the money or goods thus furnished; money or value supplied beforehand. I shall, with pleasure, make the necessary advances. (Jay) The account was made up with intent to show what advances had been made. (Kent) in advance in front; before. Beforehand; before an equivalent is received. In the state of having advanced money on account; as, a is advance to B a thousand dollars or pounds.

Origin: cf. F. Avance, fr. Avancer. See advance, v.

1. To bring forward; to move towards the van or front; to make to go on.

2. To raise; to elevate. They . . . Advanced their eyelids. (Shak)

3. To raise to a higher rank; to promote. Ahasueres . . . Advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes. (Esther III. 1)

4. To accelerate the growth or progress; to further; to forward; to help on; to aid; to heighten; as, to advance the ripening of fruit; to advance one's interests.

5. To bring to view or notice; to offer or propose; to show; as, to advance an argument. Some ne'er advance a judgment of their own. (Pope)

6. To make earlier, as an event or date; to hasten.

7. To furnish, as money or other value, before it becomes due, or in aid of an enterprise; to supply beforehand; as, a merchant advances money on a contract or on goods consigned to him.

8. To raise to a higher point; to enhance; to raise in rate; as, to advance the price of goods.

9. To extol; to laud. Greatly advancing his gay chivalry. (Spenser)

Synonym: to raise, elevate, exalt, aggrandize, improve, heighten, accelerate, allege, adduce, assign.

Origin: oe. Avancen, avauncen, f. Avancer, fr. A supposed LL. Abantiare; ab _ ante (f. Avant) before. The spelling with d was a mistake, a- being supposed to be fr. L. Ad. See Avaunt.