advocate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
advocates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
advocated,
past participle, past
-
advocating
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
advocates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
advocated,
past participle, past
-
advocating
present participle
noun
-
advocates
plural
-
a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually followed byof ).
an advocate of peace.
-
a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor.
-
a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.
verb
noun
-
a person who upholds or defends a cause; supporter
-
a person who intercedes on behalf of another
-
a person who pleads his client's cause in a court of law See also barrister solicitor counsellor
-
Scots law the usual word for barrister
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
advocatornoun
-
nonadvocatenoun
-
preadvocatenoun
-
subadvocatenoun
-
preadvocateverb (used with object)
-
readvocateverb (used with object)
-
advocativeadjective
-
advocatoryadjective
-
unadvocatedadjective
-
well-advocatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
advocatesimple
-
advocatessimple
-
have advocatedperfect
-
has advocatedperfect
-
am advocatingprogressive
-
are advocatingprogressive
-
is advocatingprogressive
-
have been advocatingperfect progressive
-
has been advocatingperfect progressive
Past
-
advocatedsimple
-
had advocatedperfect
-
was advocatingprogressive
-
were advocatingprogressive
-
had been advocatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of advocate
First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin advocātus “legal counselor,” originally past participle of advocāre “to call to one's aid,” equivalent to ad- ad- + vocāre “to call” (akin to vōx voice ); replacing Middle English avocat, from Middle French
Explanation
An advocate (AD-və-kit) is someone who supports a cause, like an advocate for outdoor recess. Advocate (AD-və-kate) is also a verb meaning to speak in favor of, so you can advocate for that outdoor recess by urging your school to play outside! As a noun, an advocate is a person who represents another person’s interests, like a lawyer does. In fact, the word comes from the courtroom — it’s from Latin advocare, to “add” a “voice.” To advocate is to add a voice of support to a cause or person. An advocate is anyone who adds that voice by representing another person in court, or by supporting or working toward a particular course of action.
Vocabulary lists containing advocate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In any language, Del Toro is a fierce advocate against the use of generative AI in artistic creation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
In the Zuckerberg mock-hearings, Bill Burr turns up as a fictional character—sort of a devil’s advocate, but really an angel’s advocate—who is essentially the voice of Mr. Sorkin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
In Mid Michigan, voter frustration about the high cost of rent has helped propel William Lawrence into a rare position: Polls show the affordable-housing advocate and Democratic candidate running for U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
The office will also oversee the Armed Forces Chaplains Board and advocate for funding for religious programs across the military.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
So far, Gandhi was being a lawyer, an advocate, pleading with whites to offer better treatment for Indians.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
Environmental advocates, however, warn that expanded commercial shipping along the Northern Sea Route could threaten the fragile Arctic ecosystem.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
But the growing adoption of the audio- and video-recording devices, as well as some of the features being tested, has raised worries among privacy advocates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Some advocates for Skid Row residents criticized the operation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The conclusions were made after committee members heard from doctors, advocates and experts from countries that do allow assisted dying for people solely with mental illness, like the Netherlands and Belgium.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The central question for racial justice advocates is this: are we serious about ending this system of control, or not?
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
The first legislative elections since 2006, which the international community has strongly advocated for, had been scheduled for November 28, with a presidential election expected in early 2027.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
Bunnie said she had been willing to put the work in, noting that she had advocated for them to attend couple’s therapy.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
On his campaign website, he advocated for a system that is “fair, secure and welcoming to those who follow the rules.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
He added he had previously advocated such a move within his lifetime, whilst acknowledging it was "not necessarily the case that that is now".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Had not Madison himself advocated the assumption of state debts on several occasions in the 1780s?
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
"We're really clear that acting on AI is not the same thing as advocating for it or promoting it," he says.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
I’m not advocating for speeding, but you’re not bound by the confines of traffic, where you have a stoplight at every block.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
An official from the foundation once exchanged a memo with an associate advocating for the purchase of the Pacific island nation of Nauru, according to a 2023 bankruptcy lawsuit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Their remarks come less than two weeks after Amodei published a lengthy blog post advocating that AI companies pace their development of new models.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
After receiving a standing ovation for a speech at Washington University in St. Louis advocating a test ban, Pauling launched a petition drive among scientists calling for an immediate international halt to all nuclear testing.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
