so it means people who are in forefront, out ahead of others. people or things that are on “the cutting edge”.

if something is avant guard, it is waaaaaay out there, unusual, not the norm, etc.

usually associated with art, music, literature

the term is French, where it originally applied to troop formation — the ‘avant garde’ were the troops that went in the front, the advance team.

it is related to the term ‘vanguard’, and the two terms are often interchangable.

a·vant-garde (ä’vänt-gärd’, ăv’änt-)

noun

A group active in the invention and application of new techniques in a given field, especially in the arts.

adj.

Of, relating to, or being part of an innovative group, especially one in the arts: avant-garde painters; an avant-garde theater piece.

French, from Old French, vanguard. See vanguard

i hope this helped! 🙂