judge advocate

American  

noun

Military.

plural

judge advocates

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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Etymology

Origin of judge advocate

First recorded in 1740–50

Example Sentences

“The Coast Guard has teams that are specially trained to come down and take control of vessels like this,” said William Baumgartner, former judge advocate general and chief counsel for the Coast Guard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

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

Her fluency also comes in handy when she visits the relatives of her husband, Yado Yukub, a Syrian American who serves as a judge advocate in the Marine Corps.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2024

One of them, North Charleston Rep. Chris Murphy, praised DeSantis, a former Navy judge advocate general, this month at a Bluffton campaign event as “the only candidate that has worn our nation’s uniform.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023

In his address to the court, Mr. Macarthur objected to the judge advocate, as a person disreputable in character, and actuated by feelings of hostility against himself.

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