Advance \Ad*vance"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Advanced; p. pr. & vb. n. Advancing(#).]

[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.]

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

2. To raise; to elevate. [Archaic]

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. [Obs.]

Greatly advancing his gay chivalry. --Spenser.

Syn: To raise; elevate; exalt; aggrandize; improve; heighten; accelerate; allege; adduce; assign.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Advance \Ad*vance"\, v. i.

1. To move or go forward; to proceed; as, he advanced to greet me.

2. To increase or make progress in any respect; as, to advance in knowledge, in stature, in years, in price.

3. To rise in rank, office, or consequence; to be preferred or promoted.

Advanced to a level with ancient peers. --Prescott.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Advance \Ad*vance"\, a. Before in place, or beforehand in time; -- used for advanced; as, an advance guard, or that before the main guard or body of an army; advance payment, or that made before it is due; advance proofs, advance sheets, pages of a forthcoming volume, received in advance of the time of publication.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Advance \Ad*vance"\, n. [Cf. F. avance, fr. avancer. See Advance, v.]

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
   (a) In front; before.
   (b) Beforehand; before an equivalent is received.
   (c) In the state of having advanced money on account; as, A is in advance to B a thousand dollars or pounds.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)