Skip to the word

Added 30 September 2026

advocate

/ˈæd.və.kət/ noun

In Latin: cognitor, advocātus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about advocate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Someone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law; a counsel. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
Anyone who argues the case of another; an intercessor.
A person who speaks in support of something, or someone; proponent

verb

To plead in favour of; to defend by argument, before a tribunal or the public; to support, vindicate, or recommend publicly.
To encourage support for something.
I like trees, but I do not advocate living in them.
To engage in advocacy.
We have been advocating for changes in immigration law.

Origin

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).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word