Definitions:

1. any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field, especially in the arts noun
   • We are the vanguard of this movement.
2. the leading units moving at the head of an army noun
   • The vanguard took the brunt of the casualties in the battle.
3. the position of greatest importance or advancement noun
   • This new battery represents the vanguard of the technology.

Synonyms:

• avant-garde
• cutting edge
• van