devil's advocate
Meanings
noun
- One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
- A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.
verb
- To play devil's advocate.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Calque of Latin advocātus diabolī (“the devil’s advocate”), a popular title given to the officer dealing with the canonization process in the 16th c.
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