vanguard
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.
Examples of vanguard in a Sentence
Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
The country is still run by an insular Leninist vanguard that have lived through a traumatic and intimate lesson in the brittleness of their own power.
—Nick Frisch, Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2016
And that was with the financial muscle of the teachers union, which has for more than a decade positioned itself as the progressive vanguard in the city.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 21 Oct. 2024
The Ukrainian 33rd Mechanized Brigade, equipped with up-armored Leopard 2A4 tanks, blasted the Russian vanguard.
—David Axe, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near vanguard
Cite this Entry
“Vanguard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanguard. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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vanguard
noun
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"
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