# advocate

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæd.və.kət/ · frequency rank #5,003

## Definitions
1. Someone whose job is to speak for someone's case in a court of law; a counsel.
2. Anyone who argues the case of another; an intercessor.
3. A person who speaks in support of something, or someone; proponent
4. A person who supports others to make their voices heard, or ideally for them to speak up for themselves.

## Etymology
From Middle English advocat, advoket, from Old French advocat, from Latin advocātus (“an advocate”), from the substantivization of the perfect passive participle of advocāre (“to call for”) (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from a calque of Ancient Greek παράκλητος (paráklētos) (whence English paraclete). Doublet of advoke, avocat, avouch, and avow. The verb derives from the noun on the basis of -ate (verb-forming suffix).

## Easily confused with
- **allocate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/advocate-vs-allocate)
- **advocates** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/advocate-vs-advocates)
- **advocacy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/advocacy-vs-advocate)

## Common misspellings (11)
`addvocate`, `adovcate`, `advcoate`, `advoacte`, `advocaet`, `advocatte`, `advoccate`, `advoctae`, `advvocate`, `avdocate`, `davocate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/advocate