advocate

noun

Save Word

ad·vo·cate | \ ˈad-və-kət

, -ˌkāt

Definition of advocate

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal an advocate of liberal arts education

2 : one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group a consumer advocate an advocate for women's health He has paid respectful attention to the home schooling movement by meeting with its advocates and endorsing their cause.— Elizabeth Drew

3 : one who pleads the cause of another specifically : one who pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court

advocate

verb

ad·vo·cate | \ ˈad-və-ˌkāt

advocated; advocating

Definition of advocate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to support or argue for (a cause, policy, etc.) : to plead in favor of They advocated a return to traditional teaching methods. a group that advocates vegetarianism

intransitive verb

: to act as advocate for someone or something … a tradition of advocating for the equality and civil rights of all people …— Fred Kuhr

Other Words from advocate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Benjamin Franklin Wasn't a Fan of Advocate More Example Sentences Phrases Containing advocate Learn More About advocate

Other Words from advocate

Verb

advocation \ ˌad-və-ˈkā-shən

\ noun

advocative \ ˈad-və-ˌkā-tiv

\ adjective

Its mission is now more advocative—to represent business interests on local, state and national issues that affect the Southland. — Nancy Yoshihara

advocator \ ˈad-və-ˌkā-tər

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for advocate

Verb

support, uphold, advocate, back, champion mean to favor actively one that meets opposition. support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given. supports waterfront development uphold implies extended support given to something attacked. upheld the legitimacy of the military action advocate stresses urging or pleading. advocated prison reform back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling. refusing to back the call for sanctions champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause. championed the rights of children

Benjamin Franklin Wasn't a Fan of Advocate

Benjamin Franklin may have been a great innovator in science and politics, but on the subject of advocate, he was against change. In 1789, he wrote a letter to his compatriot Noah Webster complaining about a "new word": the verb advocate. Like others of his day, Franklin knew advocate primarily as a noun meaning "one who pleads the cause of another," and he urged Webster to condemn the verb's use. In truth, the verb wasn't as new as Franklin assumed (etymologists have traced it back as far as 1599), though it was apparently surging in popularity in his day. Webster evidently did not heed Franklin's plea. His famous 1828 dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language, entered both the noun and the verb senses of advocate.

Examples of advocate in a Sentence

Noun … two of nanotechnology's biggest advocates square off on a fundamental question that will dramatically affect the future development of this field. — K. Eric Drexler et al., Chemical & Engineering News, 1 Dec. 2003 Ms. Hart was familiar with local medical-review policies from her work as a patient advocate. — Laurie McGinley, Wall Street Journal, 16 Sept. 2003 a passionate advocate of civil rights She works as a consumer advocate. Verb … it makes sense to commence with … a good medium-weight Chardonnay for the wine aficionados. I advocate one with a little oak and lots of fruit … — Anthony Dias Blue, Bon Appétit, November 1997 He advocated the creation of a public promenade along the sea, with arbors and little green tables for the consumption of beer … — Henry James, The American, 1877 He advocates traditional teaching methods. The plan is advocated by the president. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Mark White an advocate for Ridgeway, initially set up a GoFundMe to raise $1,000 for James Stinson but has since increased that goal to $25,000. — Howard Koplowitz | Hkoplowitz@al.com, al, 13 May 2022 Moricz — an advocate for LGBTQ rights throughout his years in high school — had recently led a walkout protesting the bill. — Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2022 As a nurse, Raechyl was an undaunted advocate for her patients, Jensen said. — Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 10 May 2022 Haywood retired and became an advocate against drug use. — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 9 May 2022 The government has a responsibility to provide the swelling numbers of displaced with those social services, said Alexandra Lamarche, senior advocate for West and Central Africa for Refugees International. — Sam Mednick, ajc, 8 May 2022 Ani Chaglasian, an advocate with Teens for Vaccines, testified in support of the proposal, according to the Associated Press. — PEOPLE.com, 6 May 2022 Olsen is a member of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and LGBTQ+ communities, and is an outspoken mental health advocate. — Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 May 2022 Citizen’s Committee for Human Rights and an advocate for gay men during the early years of HIV/AIDS. — Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Monáe's book and album, as well as an accompanying short film, all advocate using love as a rebellious act in the face of oppression while celebrating the beauty of diversity. — CNN, 13 May 2022 After graduation, Bonker plans to continue her career in music, work at Communication 4 ALL and advocate for nonspeaking people with autism everywhere. — Wyatte Grantham-philips, USA TODAY, 13 May 2022 The Davidson County district attorney’s office, which did not advocate for any particular sentence or oppose probation, has described Vaught’s case as an indictment of one careless nurse, not the entire nursing profession. — Kaiser Health News, oregonlive, 13 May 2022 That's why advisers advocate diversity in investments. — Next Avenue, Forbes, 13 May 2022 The Davidson County district attorney's office, which did not advocate for any particular sentence or oppose probation, has described Vaught's case as an indictment of one careless nurse, not the entire nursing profession. — Brett Kelman, PEOPLE.com, 13 May 2022 Projects like these were frozen under the 1996 Dickey Amendment, named after Representative Jay Dickey, Republican of Arkansas, which barred the C.D.C. from spending money to advocate or promote gun control. — New York Times, 10 May 2022 Those interested can also help to build a seed library in their community, or advocate to their local governments to incorporate more native species in public spaces. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2022 The Posleys enlisted the help of a lawyer, their church and school employees to advocate for their sons, noting that neither boy had been in trouble at school before and the younger of the two receives special education services. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 6 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'advocate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for advocate

Noun

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" — more at vocation

Verb

derivative of advocate entry 1