advocate

noun ad·vo·cate \ ˈad-və-kət , -ˌkāt \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

Definition of advocate

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

2 : one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal

an advocate of liberal arts education

3 : 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

See advocate defined for English-language learners

See advocate defined for kids

advocate was our Word of the Day on 01/09/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of advocate in a Sentence

… 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.

Recent Examples of advocate from the Web

Immigration advocates say there’s little that will deter a mother on the southern banks of the Rio Grande determined to get medical attention for her son.

— aaron nelsen, San Antonio Express-News, "Border agents now removing children from their immigrant parents," 13 May 2018
While critics say the program is a threat to American jobs, advocates of the rule say this work authorization is vital for families to have a second income — particularly in pricey areas like the Bay Area.

— trisha thadani, San Francisco Chronicle, "Data offers new glimpse into work permit program for H-1B spouses," 11 May 2018
In addition to being a spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris, the actor is an advocate for gender equality in Hollywood, as well as children's and LGBTQ rights.

— lindsey v thompson, Allure, "Amber Heard Talks About Being the New Global Spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris," 11 May 2018
Yet it was given what many advocates say is a misleading set of diagnostic criteria and a trivializing name, chronic fatigue syndrome, by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 30 years ago.

— megan doherty, Chicago Reader, "ME myalgic encephalomyelitis chronic fatigue syndrome CFS Millions Missing Depaul University CDC," 10 May 2018
Aside from sparing animals from slaughter, advocates say, cultured meat would require less energy, take up less land, and release less methane and other greenhouse gases than conventional meat production.

— kelly servick, Science | AAAS, "As lab-grown meat advances, U.S. lawmakers call for regulation," 10 May 2018
Rohan Nadkarni: Joining us on the show today is a North Philadelphia native who is an advocate for criminal justice reform.

— SI.com, "Meek Mill Is Free and Hoping to Make a Difference," 10 May 2018
Affordable housing advocates say home flipping puts upward pressure on rents and home prices, thus contributing to affordability concerns that have arisen as housing markets across the country recover from the housing bust a decade ago.

— jeff andrews, Curbed, "How Wall Street, Silicon Valley institutionalized home flipping," 9 May 2018
Furthermore, these reports are meant to be a snapshot in time, rather than a comprehensive look at financial performance, charter advocates said.

— agnel philip, azcentral, "Analysis: 1 in 4 charters shows significant financial red flags," 9 May 2018

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.

Origin and 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" — more at vocation

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

advocate Synonyms

advocate

verb ad·vo·cate \ ˈad-və-ˌkāt \

Definition of advocate

advocated; advocating

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

—

advocation

play \ˌad-və-ˈkā-shən\ noun

—

advocative

play \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

play \-ˌkā-tər\ noun

See advocate defined for English-language learners

Examples of advocate in a Sentence

… 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.

Recent Examples of advocate from the Web

Much of the activism has centered around advocating for tighter gun control laws.

— sarah freishtat, Aurora Beacon-News, "Second Amendment rights walkout was 'most incredible moment' for St. Charles high school organizers," 12 May 2018
Harry’s been involved with a number of charitable causes in his life, but in the past few years, his work has centered on advocating for army veterans and mental-health awareness.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "The Everything Guide to Mr. Meghan Markle," 9 May 2018
Vail will help boost the organization's efforts in advocating for music creators and music lovers.

— rosemarie stein, OregonLive.com, "Business Movers: Maggie Vail named Content Creators Coalition's executive director," 8 May 2018
Kremlin hard-liners oppose Kudrin for advocating an easing of tensions with the West, as well as efforts to revive trade.

— andrew e. kramer, BostonGlobe.com, "Putin starts 4th term with coronation-style ceremony," 7 May 2018
The complexity and difficulty and hard work that goes into advocating for an issue in a way that’s credible and effective and wins the argument.

— john baer, Philly.com, "High-powered Pa. lobbyist for SugarHouse, Sixers tells us how the sausage gets made - and why Sixers even need a lobbyist," 4 May 2018
After years of dodging revenge websites that took aim at her professional reputation, Tina had begun channeling her pain into advocating for stronger laws around digital abuse.

— lauren duca, Teen Vogue, "Netizens Shows How Cyberharassment Is Trivialized, Especially For Women," 1 May 2018
In advocating for the president’s health-care bill last June, Price insisted that the goal of the legislation was to bring down health-care costs for all Americans (as opposed to clearing budget space for supply-side tax cuts).

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "A Couple Republican Elites Just Admitted Their Agenda Is Built on Lies," 1 May 2018
Pound, the legendary American poet, stained his reputation by advocating for Benito Mussolini, broadcasting fascist messages on Italian radio during World War II.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Is Kanye West “the Ezra Pound of Rap”?," 30 Apr. 2018

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 to 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.

Origin and Etymology of advocate

derivative of ¹advocate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

advocate Synonyms

Synonyms

back, champion, endorse (also indorse), patronize, plump (for), support;

Near Antonyms

baffle, foil, frustrate, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart;

desert, disappoint, fail, let down;

Related Words

adopt, embrace, espouse;

abet, aid, assist, help, prop (up), second, side (with);

backstop, bolster, boost, buttress, reinforce (also reenforce);

advance, forward, further;

plug, preach, talk up;

Phrases

go in for, go to bat for, hold a brief for, stand up for, stick up for;

Synonym Discussion of advocate

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

ADVOCATE Defined for English Language Learners

advocate

noun

Definition of advocate for English Language Learners

: a person who argues for or supports a cause or policy
: a person who works for a cause or group
: a person who argues for the cause of another person in a court of law

ADVOCATE Defined for Kids

advocate

noun ad·vo·cate \ ˈad-və-kət , -ˌkāt \

Definition of advocate for Students

1 : a person who argues for or supports an idea or plan

peace advocates

2 : a person who argues for another especially in court

advocate

verb ad·vo·cate \ ˈad-və-ˌkāt \

Definition of advocate for Students

advocated; advocating

: to speak in favor of : argue for

advocate change

Law Dictionary

advocate

noun ad·vo·cate \ ˈad-və-kət, -ˌkāt \

legal Definition of advocate

1 : a person (as a lawyer) who works and argues in support of another's cause especially in court

2 : a person or group that defends or maintains a cause or proposal

a consumer advocate

Origin and Etymology of advocate

Latin advocatus adviser to a party in a lawsuit, counselor, from past participle of advocare to summon, employ as counsel, from ad to + vocare to call