Definition of vanguard

• the leading units moving at the head of an army
• any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
• 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"