The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word AVANT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
V
A
N
T
More clues leading to the result AVANT
- 'ampshire town as before
- A very great and eccentric bohemian
- Innovative Reagan TV ad broadcast
- Early adopter tried satnav, losing way around outskirts of Geneva
- Some savant gardener breaking new ground
- A very great and creative description of modern art
- Forward-looking, runs into new position of advantage
- A very small insect on ground by house, lacking tail and not boringly normal?
- Before one’s time to seize advantage
- Runs into position of advantage, being innovative
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Innovative" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case innovative = avant.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does AVANT mean?
AVANT noun- The front of an army; the vanguard.