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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread "advancements"? #70563 05/19/2002 5:20 PM Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 200 AphonicRants enthusiast AphonicRants enthusiast Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 200 From the top-headline story in today's local newspaper: Advancements in HNA technology led to a crucial breakt in the [murder] investigation and It was an advancement in DNA science that gavee them their biggest break. In this usage, is "advancement" in any way a more proper word than "advance"? Or is this a retreatment from proper usage? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "advancements"? #70564 05/19/2002 5:26 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 advancement n. 1 an advancing or being advanced 2 promotion, as to a higher rank 3 progress or improvement; furtherance 4 Law money or property given as an advance share in the estate of a person who later dies without making a will: it is deducted from the total share of the recipient in the intestate‘s estate Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "advancements"? #70565 05/19/2002 5:51 PM Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 200 AphonicRants enthusiast AphonicRants enthusiast Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 200 Yes, bill, but that's not the point I was trying to make: What is the difference between and advancement (sense 1 or 3) and advance? And if there is in fact a distinction, then -- which would be the proper word in the above context? -- the above use of the plural, "advancements," suggests reference to specific techniques, rather than general progress (one would not refer to "progresses" in the plural). Is the meaning of advancement (3) one which can be pluralized? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Post deleted by ewein #70566 05/19/2002 5:58 PM Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 184 USA ewein member ewein member Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 184 USA Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: "advancements"? #70567 05/19/2002 6:12 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... From MW, for the record: Main Entry: 2advance Function: noun Date: 1668 1 : a moving forward 2 a : progress in development <mistaking material advance for spiritual enrichment -- H. J. Laski> b : a progressive step : IMPROVEMENT <an advance in medical technique> 3 : a rise in price, value, or amount 4 : a first step or approach made <her attitude discouraged all advances> 5 : a provision of something (as money or goods) before a return is received; also : the money or goods supplied Definition #2 is the one that has application to the article you cited, AR. It appears that advancement and advance may be used synonymously. The affective use of advancement over advance, strictly in my personal intuitive sense, is advancement sounds more progressional and advance sounds more completed. I know I've heard the phrase, "Advancements in technology" and similar phrases. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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