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

He is also a veteran who served in the Navy as a judge advocate general.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Navy judge advocate general officer, and Michele Morrow, a former candidate for state superintendent, are also running for the Republican Senate nomination.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 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

DeSantis served when he was younger as a Navy “JAG,” or judge advocate general, deploying to Iraq.

From Slate • Dec. 4, 2024

Not long afterward he became judge advocate general of the Wyoming National Guard.

From Buffalo Bill's Spy Trailer Or, The Stranger in Camp by Ingraham, Prentiss