<p><strong>Verb (used with object)</strong></p><ul><li>to move or bring forward: The general advanced his troops to the new position.</li><li>to bring into consideration or notice; suggest; propose: to advance reasons for a tax cut.</li><li>to improve; further: to advance one's interests.</li><li>to raise in rank; promote: The board of directors advanced him to president.</li><li>to raise in rate or amount; increase: to advance the price.</li><li>to bring forward in time; accelerate: to advance growth; to advance clocks one hour.</li><li>to supply beforehand; furnish on credit or before goods are delivered or work is done.</li><li>to furnish as part of a stock or fund.</li><li>to supply or pay in expectation of reimbursement: They advanced her $5000 against future royalties.</li><li>to schedule at a later time or date: to advance a meeting from early to late fall.</li><li>Informal. to do advance publicity for: to advance a rock singer's personal appearances; the most heavily advanced sports event in history.</li><li>Archaic. to raise, as a banner.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb (used without object)</strong></p><ul><li>to move or go forward; proceed: The troops advanced.</li><li>to increase in quantity, value, price, etc.: His stock advanced three points.</li><li>(of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move toward or be perceived as moving toward an observer, especially as giving the illusion of space.</li><li>to improve or make progress.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a forward movement; progress in space: the advance of the troops to the border.</li><li>promotion; improvement in importance, rank, etc.: his advance to the position of treasurer.</li><li>Usually advances. attempts at forming an acquaintanceship, reaching an agreement, or the like, made by one party.</li><li>actions or words intended to be sexually inviting.</li><li>addition to price; rise in price: an advance on cottons.</li><li>Commerce. a giving beforehand; a furnishing of something before an equivalent is received: An advance on his next month's salary permitted him to pay his debt on time.</li><li>the money or goods thus furnished: He received $100 as an advance against future delivery.</li><li>Journalism. copy prepared before the event it describes has occurred: The morning papers carried advances on the ceremony, which will take place tonight.</li><li>a press release, wire-service dispatch, or the like, as one containing the text or partial text of a speech, sent to arrive in advance of the event to which it is related.</li><li>the leading body of an army.</li><li>Military. (formerly) the order or a signal to advance.</li><li>Informal. publicity done before the appearance of a noted person, a public event, etc.: She was hired to do advance for the candidate.</li><li>a person hired to do advance publicity for an event: He is regarded as the best advance in the business.</li><li>Automotive, Machinery. an adjustment made in the setting of the distributor of an internal-combustion engine to generate the spark for ignition in each cylinder earlier in the cycle.</li><li>Geology. a seaward movement of the shoreline.</li></ul><p><strong>Adjective</strong></p><ul><li>going or placed before: an advance section of a train.</li><li>made or given ahead of time: an advance payment on a loan.</li><li>issued ahead of time: an advance copy of the president's speech.</li><li>having gone beyond others or beyond the average.</li></ul>