vanguard
noun
van·guard
ˈvan-ˌgärd 
also ˈvaŋ-
1
: the forefront of an action or movement
2
: the troops moving at the head of an army
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
a style of jazz that the vanguard quickly recognized as new and exciting
talk radio is often regarded as being in the vanguard of the conservative movement
Recent Examples on the Web
This neo-Gaullist policy, as a vanguard of a nascent EU foreign and energy policy, will probably be his most enduring, but controversial, legacy.
—
Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Now entering its third year, Athlos is among a new vanguard of professional track and field events aimed at modernizing the sport for the streaming era and growing its audience in non-Olympic years.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 20 May 2026
Hekt’s debut album heralds a union between the left-field pop scene of his native Copenhagen and the influential Glasgow label Numbers, whose formidable run of 2010s releases—including several landmark SOPHIE singles—has left a neon imprint on the new Danish vanguard.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Yes, Barcelona comes across normally as a cool place, a vanguard city which everybody wants to visit.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
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Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Now entering its third year, Athlos is among a new vanguard of professional track and field events aimed at modernizing the sport for the streaming era and growing its audience in non-Olympic years.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 20 May 2026
Hekt’s debut album heralds a union between the left-field pop scene of his native Copenhagen and the influential Glasgow label Numbers, whose formidable run of 2010s releases—including several landmark SOPHIE singles—has left a neon imprint on the new Danish vanguard.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Yes, Barcelona comes across normally as a cool place, a vanguard city which everybody wants to visit.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vanguard
Cite this Entry
“Vanguard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanguard. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vanguard
noun
van·guard
ˈvan-ˌgärd
1
: the troops moving at the head of an army
2
: the forefront of an action or movement
Etymology
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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