devil's advocate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2Formal to neutral; common in professional, academic, and intellectual discourse.
Quick answer
What does “devil's advocate” mean?
A person who takes a position they do not necessarily agree with for the sake of debate, or to test the strength of an opposing argument.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who takes a position they do not necessarily agree with for the sake of debate, or to test the strength of an opposing argument.
Someone who intentionally argues against the majority or popular opinion to provoke deeper discussion, identify weaknesses in a plan, or ensure all perspectives are considered. Originally a specific Catholic Church role (Advocatus Diaboli) tasked with arguing against a candidate's canonization.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Meaning and usage are identical. No significant lexical or grammatical variation.
Connotations
Identical connotations of constructive criticism and intellectual testing.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in formal British contexts (e.g., civil service, academia) but common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “devil's advocate” in a Sentence
to play devil's advocate [for a moment]Let me be devil's advocate and say...He was appointed as the devil's advocate.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “devil's advocate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I'm going to devil's-advocate here for a second.
- She spent the meeting devil's-advocating every proposal.
American English
- Let me devil's-advocate this plan.
- He devil's-advocated so much we reconsidered.
adverb
British English
- He argued devil's-advocate-style.
- She spoke devil's-advocate, challenging all assumptions.
American English
- Let's look at this devil's-advocate.
- He approached it devil's-advocate.
adjective
British English
- He took a devil's-advocate position.
- We need a devil's-advocate review of the policy.
American English
- Her devil's-advocate questions were helpful.
- We ran a devil's-advocate simulation.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in meetings to stress-test a strategy: 'I'll play devil's advocate—what if our main supplier fails?'
Academic
Used in seminars to critique a theory or methodology from an opposing viewpoint.
Everyday
Used in casual discussions about plans or opinions: 'I'm just playing devil's advocate, but is that holiday really affordable?'
Technical
Used in fields like law, software testing (chaos engineering), or risk management to describe a formalized role for identifying flaws.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “devil's advocate”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “devil's advocate”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “devil's advocate”
- Using it to mean simply 'a bad person's supporter' (e.g., 'He's a devil's advocate for the dictator' – incorrect).
- Spelling: 'devils advocate' (missing apostrophe) or 'devil advocate'.
- Using it as a verb without 'play' or 'be' (e.g., 'She deviled advocated' – incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is generally seen as a positive, intellectual role aimed at improving ideas through rigorous testing, not as genuine opposition.
Yes, informally (e.g., 'to devil's-advocate'), though some style guides prefer the phrasing 'play devil's advocate'.
It originates from the Catholic Church's canonization process. The 'Promoter of the Faith' (Advocatus Diaboli) was appointed to argue against a candidate's sainthood to ensure thorough scrutiny.
A devil's advocate argues a position they don't necessarily hold, for the sake of argument. A critic expresses their own genuine objections or disapproval.
A person who takes a position they do not necessarily agree with for the sake of debate, or to test the strength of an opposing argument.
Devil's advocate is usually formal to neutral; common in professional, academic, and intellectual discourse. in register.
Devil's advocate: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdev.l̩z ˈæd.və.kət/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdev.l̩z ˈæd.və.kət/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To play (the) devil's advocate”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a courtroom. The 'devil' needs a lawyer (advocate) to argue his unpopular case. You briefly become that lawyer for debate.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARGUMENT IS WAR (taking the opposing side) / IDEAS ARE STRUCTURES (testing for weak points).
Practice
Quiz
In which scenario is someone MOST likely playing 'devil's advocate'?