Advocate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈad-və-kət/ (noun) /ˈad-və-ˌkāt/ (verb) ad·vo·cate

Meaning & Definition of Advocate

Advocate (noun)

  1. one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal
  2. one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group
  3. one who pleads the cause of another; specifically, one who pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court

Advocate (verb)

  1. to support or argue for (a cause, policy, etc.), to plead in favor of
  2. to act as advocate for someone or something

Advocate (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person who actively supports or favors a cause

    "Mark Twain, Noah Webster, and President Theodore Roosevelt are among past advocates of a reformed spelling system"

    similar: advocator, apostle, backer, booster, champion, espouser, exponent, expounder, friend, gospeler, herald, hierophant, high priest, paladin, promoter, proponent, protagonist, supporter, true believer, tub-thumper, white knight
    related: loyalist, partisan, stalwart, adherent, cohort, disciple, follower, interpreter, applauder, cheerleader, encourager, fellow traveler
    opposite: adversary, antagonist, opponent
    near: enemy, foe, rival, belittler, critic, faultfinder

  2. a person whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients or to advise about legal rights and obligations

    "with such a strong case against him, he's going to need the best advocate that money can buy"

    similar: attorney, attorney-at-law, counsel, counselor, counselor-at-law, lawyer, legal eagle
    related: cocounsel, district attorney, prosecuting attorney, prosecutor, solicitor, criminal lawyer, mouthpiece (slang), public defender, trial lawyer, jurist, lawgiver, lawmaker, legislator, solon, ambulance chaser, pettifogger, Philadelphia lawyer, shyster

Advocate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to promote the interests or cause of

    "environmentalists advocating agricultural methods designed to slow the destruction of rain forests"

    similar: back, champion, endorse, patronize, plump (for), plunk (for), support, go in for, go to bat for, hold a brief for, stand up for, stick up for
    related: adopt, embrace, espouse, abet, aid, assist, help, prop (up), second, side (with), backstop, bolster, boost, buttress, reinforce, advance, forward, further, plug, preach, talk up, bail out, deliver, rescue, save
    near: baffle, foil, frustrate, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart, desert, disappoint, fail, let down

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Advocate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Advocate:

advocator, apostle, backer, booster, champion, espouser, exponent, expounder, friend, gospeler, herald, hierophant, high priest, paladin, promoter, proponent, protagonist, supporter, true believer, tub-thumper, white knight, attorney, attorney-at-law, counsel, counselor, counselor-at-law, lawyer, legal eagle, back, endorse, patronize, plump (for), plunk (for), support, go in for, go to bat for, hold a brief for, stand up for, stick up for

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Advocate

Words with the opposite meaning of Advocate:

adversary, antagonist, opponent

Related Words for Advocate

loyalist, partisan, stalwart, adherent, cohort, disciple, follower, interpreter, applauder, cheerleader, encourager, fellow traveler, cocounsel, district attorney, prosecuting attorney, prosecutor, solicitor, criminal lawyer, mouthpiece, public defender, trial lawyer, jurist, lawgiver, lawmaker, legislator, solon, ambulance chaser, pettifogger, Philadelphia lawyer, shyster

Near Antonyms of Advocate

enemy, foe, rival, belittler, critic, faultfinder, baffle, foil, frustrate, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart, desert, disappoint, fail, let down

Word Forms of Advocate

Inflections: advocated, advocating

Derived words: advocation (noun), advocative (adjective), advocator (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Advocate

Middle English avocat, advocat, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin advocātus, noun derivative from past participle of advocāre "to summon, call to one's aid," from ad- ad- + vocāre "to call" vocation

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Advocate

Words & Phrases Containing Advocate

devil's advocate, judge advocate, judge advocate general

Frequently Asked Questions about Advocate

What does "Advocate" mean?

"Advocate" means one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Advocate"?

Other words for "Advocate" include advocator, apostle, backer, booster, champion, espouser, exponent and expounder. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Advocate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Advocate"?

There are 94 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Advocate". Common alternatives include advocator, apostle, backer, booster, champion, espouser, exponent, expounder, friend and gospeler.

What is the opposite of "Advocate"?

Antonyms of "Advocate" include adversary, antagonist and opponent. Near antonyms include enemy, foe, rival and belittler.

How do you use "Advocate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Advocate" in a sentence: "Mark Twain, Noah Webster, and President Theodore Roosevelt are among past advocates of a reformed spelling system"; "with such a strong case against him, he's going to need the best advocate that money can buy"; "environmentalists advocating agricultural methods designed to slow the destruction of rain forests".

Is "Advocate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Advocate" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Advocate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Advocate" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Advocate"?

"Advocate" is pronounced /ˈad-və-kət/ as a noun and /ˈad-və-ˌkāt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as ad·vo·cate.