advocatus diaboli

See also: Advocatus Diaboli

Latin

Etymology

From advocātus (“advocate”) + diabolī (“of the devil”) the genitive singular of diabolus (“the devil”). Literally meaning "the devil's advocate".

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ad.u̯oˈkaː.tus diˈa.bo.liː/, [äd̪u̯ɔˈkäːt̪ʊs̠ d̪iˈäbɔlʲiː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ad.voˈka.tus diˈa.bo.li/, [äd̪voˈkäːt̪us d̪iˈäːboli]

Noun

advocātus diabolī m (genitive advocātī diabolī); second declension

1. the devil's advocate, an officer of the Church whose role it is to argue against the canonization or beatification of a saint.

Declension

Second-declension noun with an indeclinable portion.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	advocātus diabolī	advocātī diabolī
Genitive	advocātī diabolī	advocātōrum diabolī
Dative	advocātō diabolī	advocātīs diabolī
Accusative	advocātum diabolī	advocātōs diabolī
Ablative	advocātō diabolī	advocātīs diabolī
Vocative	advocāte diabolī	advocātī diabolī

Antonyms

• advocātus Deī

Descendants

• English: devil's advocate (calque)
• Portuguese: advogado do diabo (calque)