vanguard

noun

van·​guard ˈvan-ˌgärd 

 also  ˈvaŋ-

1

: the forefront of an action or movement

2

: the troops moving at the head of an army

vanguardism

ˈvan-ˌgär-ˌdi-zəm 

 also  ˈvaŋ-

noun

vanguardist

ˈvan-ˌgär-dist 

 also  ˈvaŋ-

noun

Did you know?

Vanguard comes from Anglo-French avantgarde, from avant, meaning "before," and garde, "guard." In medieval times, avantgarde referred to the troops that marched at the head of the army. In time, vanguard marched its way as a word for the group of people who are the leaders of an action or movement in society, politics, art, etc.

Synonyms

• avant-garde
• cutting edge
• van

Examples of vanguard in a Sentence

a style of jazz that the vanguard quickly recognized as new and exciting

talk radio is often regarded as being in the vanguard of the conservative movement

Recent Examples on the Web

Palestinian elections held the following year resulted in a major win for Hamas, leading to a crisis in the fledgling PA government and a violent rift between the Islamist group and the traditional Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) vanguard of Fatah, a secular, leftist movement. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025

Those involved with the brand have described Reuss as a protector, vanguard and even spiritual leader of sorts for Cadillac. —Michael Wayland, CNBC, 5 May 2025

The sense that reopened doors to a market of hundreds of millions of potential fans and recent pledges between Korea, China, and Japan to deepen economic ties could be an important cultural vanguard for greater future harmony and opportunity. —Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Ghazi is part of a vanguard of ultrarich investors betting on a particularly down-and-out asset: San Francisco commercial real estate. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vauntgard, borrowed from Anglo-French vantgarde, avantgarde, from avant- "fore-" (from avant "before," going back to Late Latin abante) + garde guard entry 1 — more at advance entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing vanguard

• at the vanguard
• the vanguard

Rhymes for vanguard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard

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Kids Definition

vanguard

noun

van·​guard ˈvan-ˌgärd 

1

: the troops moving at the head of an army

2

: the forefront of an action or movement

Etymology

Middle English vauntgard "the troops moving at the head of an army," from early French vantgarde, avantgarde (same meaning), derived from avant- "fore-, in front" and garde "guard"