advocate

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

    Audio (US)

    (file)

• Verb:
  • enPR: ăd'vəkāt, IPA: /ˈædvəkeɪt/, 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 someone to make their voice heard, or ideally 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) Chechen: юрист Crimean Tatar: advokat Czech: obhájce (cs) m., advokát (cs) m. Dutch: advocaat m., advocate f., verdediger m., verdedigster m. Finnish: asianajaja (fi) French: avocat (fr) m. German: Rechtsanwalt (de) Greek: συνήγορος (el) (synígoros) m. and f.

Hebrew: עורך־דין (orekh-din) m., עורכת־דין (orekhet-din) f. Indonesian: pengacara (id) Italian: avvocato (it) Khmer: ស្មាក្ដី (km) (smar kdey) Malayalam: വക്കീല് (vakkeel), അഭിഭാഷകന് (abhibhaashakan) Maltese: avukat m., avukatessa f. Polish: adwokat m. Portuguese: advogado (pt) Russian: адвокат (ru) m. Slovene: zagovornik (sl) m., zagovornica (sl) f. Spanish: abogado (es) Swedish: advokat (sv) Tagalog: abogado (tl)

person who speaks in support of something

Albanian: mbrojtës Armenian: կողմնակից (hy) (koġmnakic’) Bulgarian: защитник (bg), поддръжник (bg) Dutch: voorstander (nl), verdediger (nl) Finnish: kannattaja, puoltaja 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) m. 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

Dutch: bepleiten (nl) French: plaider (fr) German: verteidigen (de), plädieren (de)

Slovene: zagovarjati (sl) Spanish: recomendar (es) Swedish: plädera (sv)

encourage support for

Bulgarian: застъпвам се за (bg) Dutch: aanbevelen (nl) French: préconiser (fr) German: verteidigen (de), plädieren (de) Japanese: 説く (とく, toku)

Portuguese: advocar,defender,argumentar a favor 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