advocate

English

Etymology

From Old French avocat, from Latin advocātus, past participle of advocāre (“to call for”).

Pronunciation

• Noun:
  • enPR: ăd'vəkət, IPA: /ˈædvəkət/, X-SAMPA: /"{dv@k@t/,

    Audio (US)

    (file)

• Verb:
  • enPR: ăd'vəkāt, IPA: /ˈædvəkeɪt/, X-SAMPA: /"{dv@keIt/,

    Audio (US)

    (file)

Noun

advocate (plural advocates)

1. Someone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law; a counsel. [from 14th c.]
2. Anyone who argues the case of another; an intercessor. [from 14th c.]
   • c. 1591, William Shakespeare, Richard III, First Folio 1623:

     I neuer did incense his Maiestie / Against the Duke of Clarence, but haue bin / An earnest aduocate to plead for him.

3. A person who speaks in support of something. [from 18th c.]
   • 2011, Alix Lee, The Guardian, 9 Oct 2011:

     He became a tireless advocate for the needs of adults with IMD throughout Britain and internationally.

4. 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.

Derived terms

• devil's advocate

Translations

person who argues the case of another

• Albanian: avokat (sq)
• Armenian: փաստաբան (hy) (p’astaban), իրավաբան (hy) (iravaban)
• Bulgarian: адвокат (bg) (advokát) m, адвокатка (bg) (advokátka) f
• Chechen: юрист (jurist)
• Crimean Tatar: advokat
• Czech: obhájce (cs) m, advokát (cs) m, právník (cs) m, právníčka (cs) f
• Dutch: advocaat (nl) m, advocate (nl) f, verdediger (nl) m, verdedigster (nl) f
• Finnish: asianajaja (fi), puolestapuhuja (fi)
• French: avocat (fr) m, avocate (fr) f
• German: Rechtsanwalt (de) m, Rechtsanwältin (de) f
• Greek: συνήγορος (el) (synígoros) m and f
• Hebrew: עוֹרֵךְ דִּין (he) (orékh din) m, עוֹרֶכֶת דִּין (he) (orékhet din) f
• Indonesian: pengacara (id)

• Italian: avvocato (it) m, avvocata (it) f
• Khmer: ស្មាក្ដី (km) (smar kdey)
• Malayalam: വക്കീല് (vakkeel), അഭിഭാഷകന് (abhibhaashakan)
• Maltese: avukat (mt) m, avukatessa (mt) f
• Polish: adwokat (pl) m, adwokatka (pl) f
• Portuguese: advogado (pt) m, advogada (pt) f
• Russian: адвокат (ru) (advokát) m, защитник (ru) (zaščítnik) m, защитница (ru) (zaščítnica) f
• Slovene: zagovornik (sl) m, zagovornica (sl) f
• Spanish: abogado (es) m, abogada (es) f
• Swedish: advokat (sv) c
• Tagalog: abogado (tl)
• Volapük: (♂♀) lavogan (vo), (♂) hilavogan (vo), (♀) jilavogan (vo)

person who speaks in support of something

• Albanian: mbrojtës
• Armenian: կողմնակից (hy) (koġmnakic’)
• Bulgarian: защитник (bg) (zaštitnik), поддръжник (bg) (poddrǎžnik)
• Dutch: voorstander (nl), verdediger (nl)
• Finnish: kannattaja, puoltaja, puolestapuhuja (fi)
• French: porte-parole (fr) m
• Greek: υπερασπιστής (el) (yperaspistís) m, υπέρμαχος (el) (ypérmachos) m and f, υποστηρικτής (el) (ypostiriktís) m
• Indonesian: pembela (id)
• Italian: sostenitore (it) m, sostenitrice (it) f

• Maltese: diffensur m, diffensura f
• Portuguese: porta voz, representante, defensor
• Russian: сторонник (ru) (storónnik) m, сторонница (ru) (storónnica) f, приверженец (ru) (privérženec) m, приверженка (ru) (privérženka) f, защитник (ru) (zaščítnik) m, защитница (ru) (zaščítnica) f, поборник (ru) (pobórnik) m, поборница (ru) (pobórnica) f
• Slovene: podpornik (sl) m, podpornica (sl) f
• Spanish: portavoz (es), representante (es), vocero (es)
• Swedish: förespråkare (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: advokar
• Indonesian: pembela
• Interlingua: advocato
• Norwegian: advokat

Verb

advocate (third-person singular simple present advocates, present participle advocating, simple past and past participle advocated)

1. (transitive) To argue for someone else.
2. (transitive) To encourage support for something.

   I like trees, but I do not advocate living in them.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:advise

Related terms

• advocacy

Translations

argue for

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 倡導 (cmn), 倡导 (cmn) (chàngdǎo), 主張 (cmn), 主张 (cmn) (zhǔzhāng), 提倡 (cmn) (tíchàng), 鼓吹 (cmn) (gǔchuī)

• Dutch: bepleiten (nl)
• Finnish: puolustaa (fi), puhua puolesta (fi), kannattaa (fi)
• French: plaider (fr)
• German: verteidigen (de), plädieren (de)

• Japanese: 説く (ja) (とく, toku), 主張する (ja) (しゅちょうする, shuchō suru)
• Russian: отстаивать (ru) (otstáivatʹ), пропагандировать (ru) (propagandírovatʹ), выступать в защиту (ru) (vystupátʹ v zaščítu) (+ genitive case)
• Slovene: zagovarjati (sl)
• Spanish: recomendar (es)
• Swedish: plädera (sv)

encourage support for

• Bulgarian: застъпвам се за (bg) (zastǎpvam se za)
• Dutch: aanbevelen (nl)
• Finnish: kannattaa (fi)
• French: préconiser (fr)
• German: verteidigen (de), plädieren (de)
• Japanese: 説く (ja) (とく, toku), 支持する (ja) (しじする, shiji suru)

• Portuguese: advocar,defender,argumentar a favor
• Russian: выступать (ru) (vystupátʹ) (за + accusative case)
• Slovene: podpirati (sl)
• Spanish: abogar (es)
• Swedish: förespråka (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Indonesian: membela
• Interlingua: advocar

Anagrams

• avocated

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Latin

Verb

advocāte

1. first-person plural present active imperative of advocō