Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ADVOCATE

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explore the archives: You might see advocate and instantly think of the idiom "to play the devil's advocate," meaning to generate some good, thorough discussion of an idea by pretending to criticize it. In that case, you're advocating (or speaking in favor of) a position that you don't actually hold. See if you can define the words that appear in these other idioms:    "to wait with bated breath,"    "to have a Damoclean sword hanging over you,"    and "to require a Herculean effort." make your point with... "ADVOCATE" Here's the verb: to advocate something, or to advocate for something, is to recommend it: to speak in favor of it. And to advocate for someone is to support that person with your words: to speak for that person. And here's the noun: an advocate is a person who speaks in support of someone or something. Pronunciation: Pronounce the verb "ADD vuh kate." Pronounce the noun (the person) "ADD vuh kit." Part of speech: Both a verb (he advocates, she advocates for us, they advocate for that) and a noun (he's an advocate, she's his advocate, they're advocates of the policy). Other common forms: advocated, advocating, advocation/advocacy How to use it: You know how I leave a sly little message at the bottom of every issue of Make Your Point to remind you that my explanations "are limited to common, useful applications only"? I bring this up now because advocate is a complex word with so many uses: the Oxford English Dictionary currently contains 2,462 quotations involving it. But I'm sticking to the most common ways we use this word. Basically, advocate is a serious word for situations in which other people are likely to either ignore or oppose what you're trying to accomplish or support. If you're a doctor and you write in a report, "We need less salt in our diets," then you're advocating--specifically, you're advocating for less salt, or advocating for healthy diets. But if you say to your friend, "You should eat less salt" or "Fleming's has amazing food; you should go there," then you're just recommending, not advocating. Talk about advocating a thing: advocating a cause, advocating a policy or a practice, advocating a course of action or an activity. Or, talk about advocating for something: advocating for a new approach, advocating for your children's needs, advocating for human rights, advocating for more inclusive and fair legislation. (Much less commonly, you can "advocate against something," but be aware that some language purists dislike that phrase on the grounds that "advocate" means "support," and it'd be weird to say that you "support against something.") You can also advocate for people: he advocates for his children, we're advocating for these prisoners, they're advocating for the elderly. (You can't "advocate people.") examples: I don't understand how a self-described believer in human rights can be advocating such a cruel policy. The dam that had been so harmful to the salmon population will soon be dismantled, a win for environmental advocates. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "advocate" means when you can explain it without saying "argue in favor of something" or "speak on other people's behalf to help them." try it out: Think of a cause you care about. Fill in the blanks: "Advocates of _____ are hoping to _____." Example: "Advocates of pre-kindergarten programs are hoping to reduce the harmful effects of poverty." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with the original and literal meanings of familiar words. I'll give you three words and their original or literal definitions, and you'll match them up. Easy! But then the following day, see if you can recall those old meanings. Hard! :) Our game has two purposes. One, we'll visit the interesting, thought-provoking old meanings of words. And two, we'll remind ourselves of a powerful learning strategy: delayed recalling. Let's play! First, try to recall from yesterday the literal meaning of "futile" and the original meanings of "budget" and "quotation." Answers appear at the bottom of this issue. Next, match these words to their original or literal definitions in the answer bank below: 1. "Diploma" originally meant _____ 2. "Mascara" literally means _____ 3. "Chameleon" literally means _____ Answer bank: A. "a mask or stain." B. "any official document." C. "a lion on the ground." review today's word: 1. The opposite of ADVOCATE is A. COMPONENT B. OPPONENT C. PROPONENT 2.  The _____ met with approval from advocates of change. A. school board's decision to stick with the same lunch menu  B. election of an outsider who promised to shake things up C. continued recycling of the hackneyed essay topics Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to game questions: 1. "Budget" originally meant "a small leather container." 2. "Futile" literally means "easily emptied (leaky)." 3. "Quotation" originally meant "a numbering." Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B