-ˌkāt
Elizabeth Drew
Fred KuhrNancy Yoshihara
Did you know?
Benjamin Franklin Wasn't a Fan of Advocate
Benjamin Franklin may have been a great innovator in science and politics, but on the subject of advocate, he was against change. In 1789, he wrote a letter to his compatriot Noah Webster complaining about a "new word": the verb advocate. Like others of his day, Franklin knew advocate primarily as a noun meaning "one who pleads the cause of another," and he urged Webster to condemn the verb's use. In truth, the verb wasn't as new as Franklin assumed (it dates back to at least the early 16th century), though it was apparently surging in popularity in his day. Webster evidently did not heed Franklin's plea: his famous 1828 dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language, entered both the noun and the verb senses of advocate.
Examples of advocate in a Sentence
K. Eric Drexler et al., Chemical & Engineering News, 1 Dec. 2003
Ms. Hart was familiar with local medical-review policies from her work as a patient advocate.
—Laurie McGinley, Wall Street Journal, 16 Sept. 2003
a passionate advocate of civil rights
She works as a consumer advocate.
Verb
… it makes sense to commence with … a good medium-weight Chardonnay for the wine aficionados. I advocate one with a little oak and lots of fruit …
—Anthony Dias Blue, Bon Appétit, November 1997
He advocated the creation of a public promenade along the sea, with arbors and little green tables for the consumption of beer …
—Henry James, The American, 1877
He advocates traditional teaching methods.
The plan is advocated by the president.
Allison Moses, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
The designer praised his talents in theater, movies, bestselling books, dance and TV, as well as his work as an outspoken advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Fortune Editors, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
This is why advocating for yourself is so important.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for advocate
Cite this Entry
“Advocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advocate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
advocate
1 of 2 noun
advocate
2 of 2 verb
Noun
Middle English advocat "one that pleads a case for another (in court)," from early French advocat (same meaning), from Latin advocatus (same meaning), derived from advocare "to call to one's aid, summon," from ad- "to, toward, near" and vocare "to call" — related to provoke, revoke, vocation
Legal Definition
advocate
1 of 2 noun
advocate
2 of 2 verb
V. M. RiveraNoun
Latin advocatus adviser to a party in a lawsuit, counselor, from past participle of advocare to summon, employ as counsel, from ad to + vocare to call
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