noun
vanguard
VAN-gahd
noun
1
The foremost part of an advancing army, fleet, or group.
"Scouts rode ahead of the vanguard to check the road for ambushes."
"The vanguard of the convoy reached the border an hour before the rest."
2
The people at the leading edge of a movement, trend, or idea.
"The design studio saw itself as the vanguard of a new, minimalist style."
"She was part of the vanguard pushing for renewable energy long before it became mainstream."
How to Use Vanguard
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe vanguard is whoever or whatever is out in front — leading the charge, whether that's literally an army or figuratively a movement.
Easily confused with
avant-garde
Common pairings
vanguard of the army
at the vanguard of
political vanguard
Word Forms
vanguards plural
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Scouts rode ahead of the _____ to check the road for ambushes.
Etymology
From Old French avant-garde, literally "before guard" — the part of a force that goes ahead of the main body. It's a doublet of the French loanword avant-garde, used today for pioneering artists and ideas.