Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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.

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.

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.

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 : WordNet®

advance
     n 1: a movement forward; "he listened for the progress of the
          troops" [syn: {progress}, {progression}]
     2: a change for the better; progress in development [syn: {improvement},
         {betterment}]
     3: a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of
        others; "she rejected his advances" [syn: {overture}, {approach},
         {feeler}]
     4: the act of moving forward toward a goal [syn: {progress}, {progression},
         {procession}, {advancement}, {forward motion}, {onward
        motion}]
     5: an amount paid before it is earned [syn: {cash advance}]
     6: increase in price or value; "the news caused a general
        advance on the stock market" [syn: {rise}]

advance
     adj 1: being ahead of time or need; "gave advance warning"; "was
            beforehand with her report" [syn: {advance(a)}, {beforehand(p)}]
     2: situated ahead or going before; "an advance party"; "at that
        time the most advanced outpost was still east of the
        Rockies" [syn: {advance(a)}, {advanced(a)}, {in advance(p)}]

advance
     v 1: move forward, also in the metaphorical sense; "Time marches
          on" [syn: {progress}, {pass on}, {move on}, {march on},
          {go on}] [ant: {recede}]
     2: bring forward for consideration or acceptance; "advance an
        argument" [syn: {throw out}]
     3: increase or raise; "boost the voltage in an electrical
        circuit" [syn: {boost}, {supercharge}]
     4: contribute to the progress or growth of; "I am promoting the
        use of computers in the classroom" [syn: {promote}, {boost},
         {further}, {encourage}]
     5: cause to move forward; "Can you move the car seat forward?"
        [syn: {bring forward}] [ant: {back}]
     6: obtain advantages, such as points, etc.; "The home team was
        gaining ground"; "After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers
        pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the
        number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference" [syn:
        {gain}, {win}, {pull ahead}, {make headway}, {get ahead},
        {gain ground}] [ant: {fall back}]
     7: develop in a positive way; "He progressed well in school";
        "My plants are coming along"; "Plans are shaping up" [syn:
         {progress}, {come on}, {come along}, {get on}, {get along},
         {shape up}] [ant: {regress}]
     8: develop further; "We are advancing technology every day"
     9: give a promotion to or assign to a higher position; "John
        was kicked upstairs when a replacement was hired"; "Women
        tend not to advance in the major law firms"; "I got
        promoted after many years of hard work" [syn: {promote}, {upgrade},
         {kick upstairs}, {raise}, {elevate}] [ant: {demote}]
     10: pay in advance; "Can you advance me some money?"
     11: move forward; "we have to advance clocks and watches when we
         travel eastward" [syn: {set ahead}]
     12: rise in rate or price; "The stock market gained 24 points
         today" [syn: {gain}]