What does "advocate" mean?
Someone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law; a counsel.
Advocate
/ˈæd.və.kət/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law; a counsel.
- Grammar: advocate is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: counsel, proponent, abet, abetter.
- Useful contrasts: deprecated, adjudicator, adjudicators.
- Usage evidence: You should advocate disarmament.
How to use "advocate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "advocate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "advocate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "advocate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "advocate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "advocate" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "counsel" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "advocate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law; a counsel.
- 2 a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea wordnet
- 3 Anyone who argues the case of another; an intercessor.
"I neuer did incense his Maiestie / Against the Duke of Clarence, but haue bin / An earnest aduocate to plead for him."
- 4 a lawyer who pleads cases in court wordnet
- 5 A person who speaks in support of something, or someone; proponent
""I think," replied the young advocate, unwilling to give up a point in which his feelings were interested, "that even you would believe in Walter Maynard's success in life, if you knew him. What has brought the world to its present state, but individual talent?""
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A person who supports others to make their voices heard, or ideally for them to speak up for themselves.
"Since she started working with her advocate, she has become much more confident."
Verb
- 1 To plead in favour of; to defend by argument, before a tribunal or the public; to support, vindicate, or recommend publicly. transitive
"7 March, 1624, Robert Sanderson, sermon at the Assizes, at Lincoln To advocate the cause of thy client."
- 2 speak, plead, or argue in favor of wordnet
- 3 To encourage support for something. transitive
"I like trees, but I do not advocate living in them."
- 4 push for something wordnet
- 5 To engage in advocacy. intransitive
"We have been advocating for changes in immigration law."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To appeal from an inferior court to the Court of Session.
- 7 To call a case before itself for decision.
Example
"You should advocate disarmament."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "advocate"?
Common synonyms include: counsel, proponent, abet, abetter, abettor, acquaintance.
How do you use "advocate" in a sentence?
You should advocate disarmament.
How do you pronounce "advocate"?
Pronounced /ˈæd.və.kət/.
Etymology
From Middle English advocat, advoket, from Old French advocat, from Latin advocātus (“an advocate”), from the substantivization of the perfect passive participle of advocāre (“to call for”) (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from a calque of Ancient Greek παράκλητος (paráklētos) (whence English paraclete). Doublet of advoke, avocat, avouch, and avow. The verb derives from the noun on the basis of -ate (verb-forming suffix).