judge advocate

American  

noun

Military.

judge advocates plural

1. a staff officer designated as legal adviser to a commander and charged with the administration of military justice.

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judge advocate British  

noun

1. an officer who superintends proceedings at a military court martial

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• judge advocates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of judge advocate

First recorded in 1740–50

Example Sentences

Militaries at war can lawfully kill combatants, including members of nonstate groups such as Hamas, even under a cease-fire, said Rachel VanLandingham, a national-security-law expert and former judge advocate in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Starting in the early 1900s, Congress enacted predecessors to Section 12406 that used the term in this way; members of the armed forces, including the Army’s judge advocate general, confirmed this interpretation.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2025

Geoffrey S. Corn, a retired judge advocate general lawyer and former Army senior adviser for law-of-war issues, stated the obvious to the Times: That selling a dangerous product is different from an armed attack:

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2025

She’s former active duty judge advocate in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

Major Abbott continued to preside as deputy judge advocate, until his office was abolished.

From The History of Tasmania, Volume I by West, John