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
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
Despite the oracular hubris of the genetic-screening vanguard, the story a parent wants has only one primary source, one reliable narrator.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for vanguard
Cite this Entry
“Vanguard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanguard. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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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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