Meanings
plural advocates
- Anyone who argues the case of another; an intercessor.First known use 14th c.
I neuer did incense his Maiestie / Against the Duke of Clarence, but haue bin / An earnest aduocate to plead for him.
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals) - A person who speaks in support of something, or someone; proponentFirst known use 18th c.
He became a tireless advocate for the needs of adults with IMD throughout Britain and internationally.
2011 October 9, Alix Lee, The Guardian1 more example
"I think," replied the young advocate, unwilling to give up a point in which his feelings were interested, "that even you would believe in Walter Maynard's success in life, if you knew him. What has brought the world to its present state, but individual talent?"
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter X, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 104Synonyms: exponent
- 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.
Synonyms: friend
present singular third person advocates · participle present advocating · participle past advocated · past advocated
- transitiveTo plead in favour of; to defend by argument, before a tribunal or the public; to support, vindicate, or recommend publicly.
7 March, 1624, Robert Sanderson, sermon at the Assizes, at Lincoln To advocate the cause of thy client.
1 more example
16 June, 1784, Edmund Burke, speech on reform of representation in the House of Commons This is the only thing distinct and sensible, that has been advocated.
- transitiveTo encourage support for something.
I like trees, but I do not advocate living in them.
3 more examples
Those who have advocated the closure of the G.C. have so far failed to say by which alternative route this North-to-West traffic could be carried.
1960 December, B. Perren, “The role of the Great Central—present and future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 765Varys even leans on Jon to assume the Iron Throne, which means he very well knew he wasn’t going to be around much longer, if he’s openly advocating others commit treason as well.
2019 May 12, Alex McLevy, “Westeros faces a disastrous final battle on the penultimate Game of Thrones (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 15 May 2019Back in 1963, how could Beeching advocate closure of the electrified Liverpool-Southport commuter route, just because its books didn't balance? The busy North London line between Richmond and Broad Street was also for the axe, as was Leeds to Bradford and Ilkley.
2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 50 - intransitiveTo engage in advocacy.
We have been advocating for changes in immigration law.
1 more example
And why has no one in the [rail] industry advocated for a universal requirement for face covering (even if it's just a scarf or old tea towel), [...].
2020 June 3, Christian Wolmar, “Unworkable policies cripple our beleaguered railway”, in Rail, page 51
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law; a counsel.
nounA person who speaks in support of something, or someone; proponent
nounA person who supports others to make their voices heard, or ideally for them to speak up for themselves.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
nouna lawyer who pleads cases in court
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinadvocātus“an advocate”
- Old Frenchadvocat
- Middle Englishadvocat
- Englishadvocate
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).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek δικήγορος, πρόδικος
- δικήγορος (dikḗgoros)person who argues the case of another
- πρόδικος (pródikos)person who argues the case of another
Arabic محامي, محامية
- محاميperson who argues the case of another
- محاميةperson who argues the case of another
- ناطق بلسانperson who speaks in support of something
- لسان حالperson who speaks in support of something
- أوصى بencourage support for
- حامىargue for
- رافعargue for
- ترافعargue for
Bulgarian адвока́т, адвока́тка
- адвока́т (advokát)person who argues the case of another
- адвока́тка (advokátka)person who argues the case of another
- защитник (zaštitnik)person who speaks in support of something
- поддръжник (poddrăžnik)person who speaks in support of something
- застъпвам се за (zastăpvam se za)encourage support for
Catalan advocat, advocar
- advocatperson who argues the case of another
- advocarencourage support for
Chinese Mandarin 倡導 /倡导, 主張 /主张
- 倡導 /倡导 (chàngdǎo)argue for
- 主張 /主张 (zhǔzhāng)argue for
- 提倡 (tíchàng)argue for
- 鼓吹 (gǔchuī)argue for
Czech obhájce, advokát
- obhájceperson who argues the case of another
- advokátperson who argues the case of another
- právníkperson who argues the case of another
- právničkaperson who argues the case of another
Danish advokat, forkæmper
- advokatperson who argues the case of another
- forkæmperperson who speaks in support of something
- fortaleencourage support for
- kæmpe forargue for
- argumentere forargue for
- fortaleargue for
Dutch advocaat, advocate
- advocaatperson who argues the case of another
- advocateperson who argues the case of another
- verdedigerperson who argues the case of another
- verdedigsterperson who argues the case of another
- voorstanderperson who speaks in support of something
- verdedigerperson who speaks in support of something
- aanbevelenencourage support for
- bepleitenargue for
Esperanto advokato, advokato
- advokatosomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- advokatoperson who argues the case of another
Finnish asianajaja, puolestapuhuja
- asianajajasomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- puolestapuhujaperson who argues the case of another
- puolestapuhujaperson who speaks in support of something
- asianajajaperson who speaks in support of something
- tukihenkilöperson who supports others to make their voices heard
- kannattaaencourage support for
- puolustaaargue for
- puhua puolestaargue for
- kannattaaargue for
French avocat, avocate
- avocatperson who argues the case of another
- avocateperson who argues the case of another
- porte-paroleperson who speaks in support of something
- préconiserencourage support for
- plaiderargue for
German Advokat, Advokatin
- Advokatsomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- Advokatinsomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- Rechtsanwaltperson who argues the case of another
- Rechtsanwältinperson who argues the case of another
- Verteidigerperson who argues the case of another
- Fürsprecherperson who speaks in support of something
- Anwaltperson who speaks in support of something
- verteidigenencourage support for
- plädierenencourage support for
- befürwortenencourage support for
- verteidigenargue for
- plädierenargue for
Greek συνήγορος, υπερασπιστής
- συνήγορος (synígoros)person who argues the case of another
- υπερασπιστής (yperaspistís)person who speaks in support of something
- υπέρμαχος (ypérmachos)person who speaks in support of something
- υποστηρικτής (ypostiriktís)person who speaks in support of something
Hebrew סנגור
- סנגור (sanegór)person who argues the case of another
Hindi अधिवक्ता, अधिवक्ता
- अधिवक्ता (adhivaktā)someone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- अधिवक्ता (adhivaktā)person who argues the case of another
- समर्थक (samarthak)person who speaks in support of something
Icelandic formælandi
- formælandiperson who speaks in support of something
Indonesian pengacara, advokat
- pengacaraperson who argues the case of another
- advokatperson who argues the case of another
- pembelaperson who speaks in support of something
Irish abhcóide
- abhcóideperson who argues the case of another
Italian avvocato, avvocata
- avvocatoperson who argues the case of another
- avvocataperson who argues the case of another
- sostenitoreperson who speaks in support of something
- sostenitriceperson who speaks in support of something
- difendereencourage support for
- sostenereencourage support for
- raccomandareargue for
- promuovereargue for
Japanese 説く, 支持する
- 説く (toku)encourage support for
- 支持する (shiji suru)encourage support for
- 説く (toku)argue for
- 主張する (shuchō suru)argue for
Latin cognitor, advocātus
- cognitorperson who argues the case of another
- advocātusperson who argues the case of another
- supersumencourage support for
- supersumargue for
Māori kaitautoko, kaitautoko
- kaitautokoperson who argues the case of another
- kaitautokoperson who speaks in support of something
- aumangeaperson who speaks in support of something
- whakaihuwakaperson who speaks in support of something
- kaihāpaiperson who speaks in support of something
- kaitaunakiperson who speaks in support of something
- kaikōkiriperson who speaks in support of something
- tautokoencourage support for
- tūhanaargue for
- tūwhanaargue for
- hapahapaiargue for
Norwegian Bokmål forkjemper
- forkjemperperson who speaks in support of something
Polish adwokat, adwokatka
- adwokatsomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- adwokatkasomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- adwokatperson who argues the case of another
- adwokatkaperson who argues the case of another
- obrońcaperson who argues the case of another
- adwokatperson who speaks in support of something
- adwokatkaperson who speaks in support of something
- adwokatowaćencourage support for
- adwokatowaćargue for
Portuguese advogado, advogada
- advogadoperson who argues the case of another
- advogadaperson who argues the case of another
- representanteperson who speaks in support of something
- defensorperson who speaks in support of something
- advocarencourage support for
- defenderencourage support for
- argumentar a favorencourage support for
- defenderargue for
- advogarargue for
Russian адвока́т, защи́тник
- адвока́т (advokát)person who argues the case of another
- защи́тник (zaščítnik)person who argues the case of another
- защи́тница (zaščítnica)person who argues the case of another
- сторо́нник (storónnik)person who speaks in support of something
- сторо́нница (storónnica)person who speaks in support of something
- приве́рженец (privérženec)person who speaks in support of something
- приве́рженка (privérženka)person who speaks in support of something
- защи́тник (zaščítnik)person who speaks in support of something
- защи́тница (zaščítnica)person who speaks in support of something
- побо́рник (pobórnik)person who speaks in support of something
- побо́рница (pobórnica)person who speaks in support of something
- отста́ивать (otstáivatʹ)argue for
- пропаганди́ровать (propagandírovatʹ)argue for
- выступа́ть в защи́ту (vystupátʹ v zaščítu)argue for
Spanish abogado, abogado
- abogadosomeone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law
- abogadoperson who argues the case of another
- abogadaperson who argues the case of another
- portavozperson who speaks in support of something
- voceroperson who speaks in support of something
- advocanteperson who speaks in support of something
- abogadorperson who speaks in support of something
- avocanteperson who speaks in support of something
- abogar/advocar porencourage support for
- abogar/advocar/avocar porargue for
Swedish advokat, förespråkare
- advokatperson who argues the case of another
- förespråkareperson who speaks in support of something
- förespråkaencourage support for
- pläderaargue for
- förespråkaargue for
Tagalog abogado
- abogadoperson who argues the case of another
Tamil வக்கீல்
- வக்கீல் (vakkīl)person who argues the case of another
Cite this entry
advocate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/advocate
“advocate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/advocate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “advocate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/advocate.
Source: advocate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.