What does “advocate” mean?
- 1
nouna person who publicly supports a cause or speaks for others
She is a strong advocate of free education.
- 2
verbto publicly recommend or support an idea or policy
Doctors advocate regular exercise for older people.
Advocate at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈædvəkət/ · AD-vuh-kut
How to use “advocate” correctly
Noun AD-vuh-kut, verb AD-vuh-kayt. The verb usually takes a direct object (“advocate change”); “advocate for” is also common in US English.
Common phrases with “advocate”
- a strong advocate of
- devil’s advocate
- advocate for
- advocate reform
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- supporter
- champion
- recommend
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- opponent
- oppose
Word family
- advocacy
Idioms with “advocate”
- Play devil's advocate: To argue against an idea, even if you agree with it, to test it or start a discussion.
“advocate” is on these word lists
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