vanguard

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. van; spearhead, front line, shock troops; marines; avant garde; forerunner, leader; innovators, modernists. See precedence, front, newness.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. advance guard, van, forerunners, precursors, leaders, spearhead, front, forefront, front line, front rank, avant-garde.

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) n.

[VAN gard]

the leading or front members of an attacking army. Also, the leading or pioneering members of a movement, project, trend, etc.

He was among the vanguard ofthe new age artists.

SYN.: front, forefront, fore, head, front line, advance guard, cutting edge, leading edge, leaders, trailblazers, pioneers, trendsetters, innovators, avant-garde, forerunners.

ANT.: rear, back, followers, stragglers