verb, -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing, noun | 1. | to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly: He advocated higher salaries for teachers. |
| 2. | a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually fol. by of): an advocate of peace. |
| 3. | a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor. |
| 4. | a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law. |

ad·vo·cate (ād'və-kāt') tr.v. ad·vo·cat·ed, ad·vo·cat·ing, ad·vo·cates To speak, plead, or argue in favor of. See Synonyms at support. n. (-kĭt, -kāt')
[From Middle English advocat, lawyer, from Old French advocat, from Latin advocātus, past participle of advocāre, to summon for counsel : ad-, ad- + vocāre, to call; see wekw- in Indo-European roots.] ad'vo·ca'tion n., ad'vo·ca'tive, ad·voc'a·to'ry (ād-vŏk'ə-tôr'ē, -tōr'-, ād'və-kə-) adj., ad'vo·ca'tor n. |