Avant-garde and Vanguard

Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Mohammadreza about the usage of the words “avant-garde” and “vanguard.”

Question

Dear Teacher,

Could you please explain (the) meaning of avant-garde and vanguard? And what's the difference?

Answer

Thank you for writing to us, Mohammadreza. I'm happy to answer this question.

We use both of these words to help us describe new ways of doing things or the people involved in those new methods.

However, we can use “vanguard” for more situations than “avant-garde.” “Avant-garde” mostly describes the newest styles in the arts — such as writing, music, painting and filmmaking. It can also describe the people who make those new styles. Consider these examples:

To some listeners, the music of avant-garde composers may sound strange.

Her paintings fit within the avant-garde style of the 1960s.

We usually use the definite article “the” before “avant-garde” to describe the people involved in the new style, as in the following example:

This style of filmmaking became popular among the avant-garde.

Note that we can use “avant-garde” as either a noun or an adjective. However, “vanguard” is almost always a noun.

“The vanguard” often refers to the people leading new developments. When we use the term “the vanguard,” we usually use the prepositions “at,” “in,” or “among” before it, as in these examples:

The research team works at the vanguard of computer science.

The university students were in the vanguard of political change.

She is among the vanguard of doctors supporting the new treatment.

“Vanguard” also means the advance guard of an army that goes ahead of the main group.

Both “avant-garde” and “vanguard” come from the French language. In fact, English has hundreds of words that come from French. Some examples include coup-d'état, chef, chic, and chauffeur.

For our readers and listeners, do you have a question about American English? Perhaps you would like to know how American English has changed over the years. Or maybe you just need to know how to use particular words. Whatever your question may be, send us an email at 21voa.com.

And that's Ask a Teacher.

I'm Andrew Smith.

Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

style –n. a way of behaving, writing or creating something in a particular way, often that is different from the majority

article –n. (grammar) a small word before a noun that shows whether the noun is definite or indefinite

preposition –n. (grammar) a small word that gives additional information about a noun related to things such as place, direct or time