advocate

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations noun: /ˈædvəkɪt/, verb: /ˈædvəkeɪt/

US:USA pronunciation: IPAUSA pronunciation: IPA/v. ˈædvəˌkeɪt; n. -kɪt, -ˌkeɪt/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(v. ad′və kāt′; n. ad′və kit, -kāt′)


Inflections of 'advocate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
advocates
v 3rd person singular
advocating
v pres p
advocated
v past
advocated
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ad•vo•cate /v. ˈædvəˌkeɪt; n. -kɪt, -ˌkeɪt/USA pronunciation   v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing, n. 
v. [~ + object]
  1. to support or urge by argument:advocates higher salaries for teachers.

n. [countable]
  1. a person who speaks or writes in support of a cause, person, etc.:a strong advocate of military intervention.
  2. Lawa person or lawyer who pleads the cause of another in a court of law:a judge advocate.
See -voc-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ad•vo•cate  (v. ad′və kāt′;n. ad′və kit, -kāt′),USA pronunciation v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing, n. 
v.t. 
  1. to speak or write in favor of;
    support or urge by argument;
    recommend publicly:He advocated higher salaries for teachers.

n. 
  1. a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually fol. by of):an advocate of peace.
  2. a person who pleads for or in behalf of another;
    intercessor.
  3. Lawa person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.
  • Middle French
  • Latin advocātus legal counselor (origin, originally past participle of advocāre to call to one's aid), equivalent. to ad- ad- + voc- call (akin to vōx voice) + -ātus -ate1; replacing Middle English avocat
  • 1300–50
ad′vo•ca′tive, adj. 
ad′vo•ca′tor, n. 
    • 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged champion, proponent, backer.
    • 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged lawyer, attorney, counselor, counsel; barrister; solicitor.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
advocate / ˈædvəˌkeɪt/
  1. (tr; may take a clause as object) to support or recommend publicly; plead for or speak in favour of
 / ˈædvəkɪt -ˌkeɪt/
  1. a person who upholds or defends a cause; supporter
  2. a person who intercedes on behalf of another
  3. a person who pleads a client's cause in a court of law
    See also barrister, solicitor, counsellor
  4. the usual word for barrister
Etymology: 14th Century: via Old French from Latin advocātus legal witness, advocate, from advocāre to call as witness, from vocāre to call
'advocate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
-crat - -ite - Adv. - Baldwin - Barnard - Berkeleian - Bircher - Bolshevist - Bourguiba - Bright - Buthelezi - Cassin - Chamberlain - Dubos - Erastian - Erskine - Islamist - Paraclete - Queen's Counsel - Reich - Roosevelt - Solicitor General - Spaak - Temple - activist - advocaat - advocacy - advocation - advocatory - advocatus diaboli - animalist - aristocrat - ate - atlas - avocado - avouch - avow - barrister - belligerati - brief - capitalist - cartelist - champion - communist - communitarian - conscriptionist - conservative - constitutionalist - consumer advocate - consumerist
Collocations: advocate for [the public, women, the community], a [consumer, women's, community] advocate, advocate [on her behalf, on behalf of], more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "advocate" in the title:


Look up "advocate" at Merriam-Webster
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