advocate

American  

[ad-vuh-keyt, ad-vuh-kit, -keyt] / ˈæd vəˌkeɪt, ˈæd və kɪt, -ˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• advocates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• advocated,
  past participle,  past
• advocating
  present participle

1. to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.

   He advocated higher salaries for teachers.

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verb (used without object)

• advocates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• advocated,
  past participle,  past
• advocating
  present participle

1. to act as an advocate.

   a father who advocates for his disabled child.

noun

• advocates
  plural

1. a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually followed byof ).

   an advocate of peace.

   Synonyms:

   backer, proponent, champion

2. a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor.

3. a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.

   Synonyms:

   solicitor, barrister, counsel, counselor, attorney, lawyer

advocate British  

verb

1. (tr; may take a clause as object) to support or recommend publicly; plead for or speak in favour of

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noun

1. a person who upholds or defends a cause; supporter

2. a person who intercedes on behalf of another

3. a person who pleads his client's cause in a court of law See also barrister solicitor counsellor

4. Scots law the usual word for barrister

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• advocator
  noun
• nonadvocate
  noun
• preadvocate
  noun
• subadvocate
  noun
• preadvocate
  verb (used with object)
• readvocate
  verb (used with object)
• advocative
  adjective
• advocatory
  adjective
• unadvocated
  adjective
• well-advocated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• advocates
  plural

Participles

• advocating
  present
• advocated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• advocate
  simple
• advocates
  simple
• have advocated
  perfect
• has advocated
  perfect
• am advocating
  progressive
• are advocating
  progressive
• is advocating
  progressive
• have been advocating
  perfect progressive
• has been advocating
  perfect progressive

Past

• advocated
  simple
• had advocated
  perfect
• was advocating
  progressive
• were advocating
  progressive
• had been advocating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will advocate
  simple
• will have advocated
  perfect
• will be advocating
  progressive
• will have been advocating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

advocate advocates advocated advocating

"The whole point of being rich is you can live wherever you want," said Pearl, a chair of Patriotic Millionaires, a group of wealthy Americans who advocate for taxing the rich.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Worth Girvan, by contrast, says her years of experience in the public sector will ensure that she can best navigate City Hall to advocate for the district’s interests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

"This is the most heinous attack on an American national park in generations," said Laiken Jordahl, a national public lands advocate at the center.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

I’m sure we could find people out there who advocate that.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

What if we grew vegetables at the White House and helped advocate for fresh food?

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

"We have used Harvest in our three companies for at least 15 years and have been loyal and enthusiastic advocates of it," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Environmental advocates counter that additional fossil fuel production can encourage more consumption and delay the energy transition.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Social Security’s advocates plainly could see Larson’s defeat coming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Disney was willing to submit the premature renewal applications, and a flood of more than 150,000 comments to the FCC, from a swath of cross-partisan advocates, demonstrated overwhelming public support for ABC.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

That has turned out, over time, to be correct, though at the time even the advocates were not sure.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

The judges conceded that the Hong Kong Alliance leaders had “not used or advocated violence or the threat of violence.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Now 84, Sanders has advocated for universal healthcare since the 1970s while watching Americans fall deeper into medical debt.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

Until his victim’s sister read his apology letter, visited him, and advocated for his release, he told me, “I used to worry about that all the time.”

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Quiñonez is one of those who have advocated for change, but says she has received threats because of this - especially from men.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

The alternative view, which I advocated, was that stay-at-homes allowed us to strike at the enemy while preventing him from striking back.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Now, which has been doing outreach and advocating for residents affected by the fire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

His policy platform often lampoons mainstream politics while drawing on genuine public anger and frustrations, and advocating in support of democracy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Meanwhile, Chevron—the only U.S. oil major currently active in Venezuela—is advocating that the country keep pushing to create a more competitive landscape for foreign investments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

He credited making the runoff election to his years in the community advocating for anti-displacement measures for tenants and lowering the rent cap.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Undoubtedly he must be advocating ideas that the South did not like.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• back
• campaign for
• defend
• encourage
• favor
• further
• justify
• press for
• promote
• propose
• push
• recommend
• support
• tout
• uphold
• urge