any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
"The avant-garde theater troupe challenged traditional norms by staging plays that utilized immersive technology to redefine audience engagement."
the position of greatest importance or advancement; the leading position in any movement or field
"the Cotswolds were once at the forefront of woollen manufacturing in England"
"the idea of motion was always to the forefront of his mind and central to his philosophy"
The leading units at the front of an army or fleet.
"The vanguard led the charge across the river, securing a bridge before the main force arrived."
In plain English: A vanguard is the leading group of people who are at the forefront of an action, movement, or new idea.
"The young teacher was seen as the vanguard of educational reform in her district."
Usage: Use vanguard to describe people, groups, or ideas that are at the forefront of progress rather than strictly military formations in modern contexts. It functions as a singular noun when referring to one group and can be pluralized (vanguards) for multiple distinct leading units.
The word "vanguard" comes from the Middle English phrase avantgarde, which was borrowed directly from Old French to mean a forward guard or advance party. It entered English in this sense during the medieval period, originally describing soldiers who led an army into battle ahead of the main force.