noun
vanguard
VAN-gard/ˈvænɡɑːrd/
The leading group at the front of an advance.
The vanguard moves ahead of the army along the road.
Etymology
The guard in front was the army’s foremost division, protecting the advance and clearing the way. That position became an image for leadership in a movement or field.
In context
This party, as Lenin envisioned it, was to become the vanguard of the revolutionary movement. in other words it was supposed to lead the oppressed class, in this case the proletariat, to its political goals
More examples
- The commander sends cavalry to reinforce the vanguard.
- The vanguard reaches the bridge before the main force.
- These researchers form the vanguard of a new medical movement.
Forms
vanguard · vanguards
Similar words
- advance guard
- Emphasizes troops sent ahead to protect the main force.
- forefront
- Names the leading position rather than the group occupying it.