先陣|せんじんsenjin[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounvanguard; advance guard

• Synonym前衛ぜんえいNeutralAn army's advance guard, but also avant-garde art and a forward player in sports; covers a wider range than 「先陣」.
• Synonym先鋒せんぽうNeutralThe vanguard of an army, or the first competitor in a team match and a leader of a movement; 「先陣」 stresses going first or leading.
• Synonym尖兵せんぺいWrittenSoldiers scouting at the very front, or figuratively a pioneer; strongly literary in flavor.
• Related前軍ぜんぐんWrittenTroops positioned at the front; very rare and mainly military. 「先陣」 is the word for taking the lead.
• Related先遣部隊せんけんぶたいWrittenA unit sent ahead of the main force, also figuratively people sent on ahead; a military and news-register term.
• Antonym後陣こうじんWrittenThe troops at the rear; the antonym of 「先陣」, which sits at the front.

Use 「先陣」 for going first or taking the lead, as in 「先陣を切る」. For an army's advance guard say 「前衛」; for the first slot in a team competition or a movement's leader, 「先鋒」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 本陣ほんじんの前まえに置おかれる陣じんのこと。さきぞなえ。先鋒せんぽう。
2. 一番乗いちばんのり。さきがけ。