devil's advocate
Meaning
A person who deliberately argues an opposing view to test ideas, expose weaknesses, or stimulate discussion, not necessarily because they disagree.
Origin
From the Catholic Church’s canonization process: the “Devil’s Advocate” (advocatus diaboli) argued against sainthood claims to test evidence. The term broadened to mean any deliberate opponent in debate.
Notes
Often constructive: you argue the opposite to test an idea, not to be negative. Common in meetings/debates, informal to semi-formal. Can sound confrontational; framing it helps.
Examples
-
I'll play devil's advocate for a moment—what if cutting the budget hurts our long-term growth?
-
She doesn't actually disagree; she just likes to be the devil's advocate to test our reasoning.
-
Before we finalize the plan, can someone act as devil's advocate and point out the risks?
-
As the devil's advocate, he argued that delaying the launch might be the smarter move.
-
Stop being the devil's advocate and tell us what you really think.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually a noun phrase: “play devil’s advocate,” “be devil’s advocate,” “act as the devil’s advocate,” or “devil’s advocate for [idea].” Possessive apostrophe is fixed; not *devils advocate*.
Synonyms
- contrarian (context-dependent)
- dissenter
- opposition voice
- skeptic (context-dependent)
- play the other side
Antonyms
- agree
- support
- back someone up
- take someone's side