The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Advancement \Ad*vance"ment\ ([a^]d*v[.a]ns"ment), n. [OE.
   avancement, F. avancement. See Advance, v. t.]
   1. The act of advancing, or the state of being advanced;
      progression; improvement; furtherance; promotion to a
      higher place or dignity; as, the advancement of learning.
      [1913 Webster]

            In heaven . . . every one (so well they love each
            other) rejoiceth and hath his part in each other's
            advancement.                          --Sir T. More.
      [1913 Webster]

            True religion . . . proposes for its end the joint
            advancement of the virtue and happiness of the
            people.                               --Horsley.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. An advance of money or value; payment in advance. See
      Advance, 5.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Law) Property given, usually by a parent to a child, in
      advance of a future distribution.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Settlement on a wife, or jointure. [Obs.] --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

advancement
    n 1: encouragement of the progress or growth or acceptance of
         something [syn: promotion, furtherance, advancement]
    2: the act of moving forward (as toward a goal) [syn:
       progress, progression, procession, advance,
       advancement, forward motion, onward motion] [ant:
       retreat]
    3: gradual improvement or growth or development; "advancement of
       knowledge"; "great progress in the arts" [syn: advancement,
       progress]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

105 Moby Thesaurus words for "advancement":
   Great Leap Forward, accomplishment, advance, advancing,
   aggrandizement, amelioration, amendment, amplification, anabasis,
   ascent, bettering, betterment, blossoming, boost, career, course,
   development, developmental change, dignification, elaboration,
   elevation, enhancement, enlargement, ennoblement, enrichment,
   eugenics, euthenics, evolution, evolutionary change, evolvement,
   evolving, exaltation, expansion, expediting, expedition,
   explication, facilitation, flowering, forward motion, forwardal,
   forwarding, furtherance, furthering, go-ahead, gradual change,
   graduation, growth, headway, helping along, improvement, knighting,
   lend-lease, lending, lending at interest, lift, loan-sharking,
   loaning, magnification, march, maturation, melioration, mend,
   mending, moneylending, natural development, natural growth,
   nonviolent change, ongoing, onward course, passage, passing,
   pay raise, pickup, preference, preferential treatment, preferment,
   proficiency, progress, progression, progressiveness, promotion,
   raise, raising, recovery, restoration, revival, ripening, rise,
   rolling, rolling on, rushing, shylocking, special treatment,
   speeding, travel, upbeat, upgrading, uplift, uplifting, upping,
   upswing, uptrend, upward mobility, usury, way