Advancers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who promote or support progress or advancement in various fields or sectors
2. Those who push forward initiatives or movements aimed at improvement or development in society
3. Individuals or entities that facilitate growth and innovation by advocating for change or advancement

Etymology: "Advancers" is the plural of "advancer," a word formed in English by adding the suffix "-er" to "advance." The verb "advance" came into English from Old French "avancier," which was built from Vulgar Latin "abanteāre," meaning to move forward from a position in front, and that Latin base combines "ab ante," "from before." So the core idea of the word is literally motion from the front of a place. The suffix does the rest of the work. The "-er" ending descends from Latin "-ārius," which turned up in Old French as "-ier" and entered Middle English as "-er," and it names a person who performs an action. An "advancer," then, is someone who advances something. The modern sense of people who push forward initiatives aimed at social improvement grows out of the older, more physical meaning of moving ahead.

Synonyms: promoters, progressors, pioneers, forerunners, trailblazers