Idiom
Devil's advocate
Someone who plays devil's advocate argues for a side they may not believe in, to test an idea or start a useful debate.
How people use it
The usual phrase is play devil's advocate, and people often announce it first to show they are not being difficult on purpose: Let me play devil's advocate for a second. It is a helpful move in meetings, classes and planning sessions, because it brings out weak spots before a decision is made. You can also call the person a devil's advocate. The tone is neutral and fairly polite. Note the apostrophe: it is devil's advocate, not devils advocate. It does not mean someone who supports something evil.
Also said: play devil's advocate.
Examples
- I'll play devil's advocate here: what if customers don't want a monthly plan?
- Priya likes to be the devil's advocate in study group, which helps us spot holes in our essays.
- He wasn't really against the trip; he was just playing devil's advocate to test our budget.
Where it comes from
The phrase translates the Latin advocatus diaboli, an informal name for an official in the Roman Catholic Church. When someone was being considered for sainthood, this official's job was to argue against it and point out every weakness in the case. The office was made formal in the late 1500s and greatly reduced in 1983. English speakers were using the phrase in its general sense by the 1700s.
Check yourself
1. In a meeting, Leo says, "Let me play devil's advocate." What is he about to do?
Answer: Argue the other side to test the plan. Playing devil's advocate means arguing against an idea, even one you like, to check how strong it is.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Sam played devil's advocate and asked what would happen if the bus never came.. The idiom is about raising an opposing view on purpose, not about doing wrong or hiring help.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in ADVOCATE.