advocate
publicly support a cause or person
to say strongly in public that you support a person, idea, or change, and want other people to support it too
to advocate [something] / to advocate for [someone/something]
- Many doctors advocate reducing sugar intake to improve public health.
- She has spent years advocating for better working conditions in factories.
- The organization advocates equal access to education for all children.
- Several experts are advocating a different approach to climate policy.
- He publicly advocated for the release of political prisoners.
- The group advocates peace and non-violence.
- Students are advocating for lower tuition fees.
- She advocates for women in technology.
- They advocate a ban on plastic bags.
- He often advocates for people who have no voice.
person who actively supports something
someone who strongly supports a person, group, or idea and speaks or works for them
an advocate of [something] / an advocate for [someone/something]
- She is a well-known advocate for people with disabilities.
- As an advocate of open data, he pushes governments to share information freely.
- Parents have become strong advocates for safer school buildings.
- The charity trains advocates to speak up for children in court.
- Many advocates of healthier eating support higher taxes on sugary drinks.
- He is an advocate for animal rights.
- Many advocates of free speech joined the protest.
- Her mother is a strong advocate for her education.
- The lawyer acted as an advocate for the poor man.
- We need more advocates for clean energy.
lawyer who represents clients in court
in some countries, a type of lawyer who can speak for people in high-level courts
an advocate in [a court/Scotland]
- She qualified as an advocate in Scotland in 2015.
- The court appointed an advocate to represent the child’s interests.
- Her advocate argued that the evidence should be ruled inadmissible.
- He worked as a criminal defence advocate for more than twenty years.
- The firm instructed a senior advocate to appear in the Supreme Court.
- The advocate spoke for the man in court.
- In Scotland, an advocate can work in the highest courts.
- Her advocate asked the judge to hear new evidence.
- They hired an advocate to help with the case.
- The child had a special advocate in the trial.
- Base: advocate
- Plural: advocates
- Base: advocate
- 3rd Person Singular: advocates
- Present Participle: advocating
- Past: advocated
act as an advocate for
1represent and support someone’s interests
to speak and work for another person or group, trying to protect their interests or rights
- Social workers often act as advocates for vulnerable children.
- The union will act as an advocate for employees during negotiations.
- Volunteers act as advocates for patients who cannot speak for themselves.
advocate for
1support and speak for someone or something
to support a person, group, or cause and speak in public or in meetings to help them
- Many young people are advocating for stricter gun laws.
- The charity advocates for the rights of refugees.
- Doctors are advocating for better mental health services.
an advocate for
1supporter of a person or cause
a person who strongly supports a person, group, or cause and speaks or works for them
- She is an advocate for homeless youth.
- We need more advocates for climate action in government.
- He has been an advocate for small businesses for many years.
devil's advocate
1person arguing the opposite side
Someone who argues against an idea, even if they agree with it, in order to test how strong the idea is.
- Let me play devil’s advocate and ask what happens if the plan fails.
- She often acts as devil’s advocate in meetings to make sure everyone has thought about the risks.
devil's advocate
2person who tests ideas by arguing against them
a person who argues against an idea, not because they really disagree, but to see how strong the idea is or to help others think more deeply
- I’ll play devil’s advocate and argue that the plan might fail.
- She often acts as devil’s advocate during meetings to test our proposals.
- He took the role of devil’s advocate to help us prepare for tough questions.
play devil's advocate
1argue against an idea to test it
to pretend to disagree with an idea, even if you agree with it, so that you and other people can test how strong the idea is
- I'm just playing devil's advocate here—what if we're wrong?
- Let me play devil’s advocate for a minute and question your assumptions.
- She played devil's advocate to see how strong his argument was.
- He likes to play devil’s advocate to make discussions more interesting.
- The lawyer played devil’s advocate to prepare her client for cross-examination.