the devil's advocate (advocatus diaboli

См. также в других словарях:

• devil's advocate — 1760, translating L. advocatus diaboli, one whose job it is to urge against the canonization of a candidate for sainthood. [F]ar from being the whitewasher of the wicked, the [devil s advocate] is the blackener of the good. [Fowler] …   Etymology dictionary

• ADVOCATUS DIABOLI —    the devil s advocate, a functionary in the Roman Catholic Church appointed to show reason against a proposed canonization …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

• Devil's advocate — For other uses, see Devil s advocate (disambiguation). In common parlance, a devil s advocate is someone who, given a certain argument, takes a position he or she does not necessarily agree with, just for the sake of argument. In taking such… …   Wikipedia

• devil's advocate — 1. a person who advocates an opposing or unpopular cause for the sake of argument or to expose it to a thorough examination. 2. Also called promoter of the faith. Rom. Cath. Ch. an official appointed to present arguments against a proposed… …   Universalium

• advocatus diaboli — /aedvowkeytas dayaebalay/ In ecclesiastical law, the devil s advocate; the advocate who argues against the canonization of a saint …   Black's law dictionary

• advocatus diaboli — /aedvowkeytas dayaebalay/ In ecclesiastical law, the devil s advocate; the advocate who argues against the canonization of a saint …   Black's law dictionary

• Advocatus Diaboli — • A title given to an officer of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, established in 1587, by Sixtus V, to deal juridically with processes of beatification and canonization Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Advocatus Diaboli      …   Catholic encyclopedia

• devil's advocate — is someone who argues against a proposition or belief in order to test it. It should not be used to mean someone who supports a bad or wicked cause. Its origin lies in the Roman Catholic official (in Latin advocatus diaboli) who tests the case… …   Modern English usage

• devil's advocate — n. [transl. of ML advocatus diaboli] 1. R.C.Ch. an official selected to examine the facts critically and raise objections in the case of a dead person named for beatification or canonization 2. a person who upholds what is regarded as the wrong… …   English World dictionary

• devil's advocate — /dɛvəlz ˈædvəkət/ (say devuhlz advuhkuht) noun an advocate of an opposing or bad cause, especially for the sake of argument. {translation of New Latin advocātus diabolī, in the Roman Catholic Church the official appointed to present the arguments …  

• devil's advocate — noun Etymology: translation of New Latin advocatus diaboli Date: 1760 1. a Roman Catholic official whose duty is to examine critically the evidence on which a demand for beatification or canonization rests 2. a person who champions the less …   New Collegiate Dictionary