devil's advocate

Definition

One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.

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.

Example Sentences

• "I don't really believe all that – I was just playing devil's advocate."
• "Now, play devil's advocate. Can't you live 20 years on $145,000 if you're living out of a motor home and just eating and painting and writing books? I mean, this is what we talked about when we were 19. Remember, we kept saying, "Let's find ourselves," but we didn't have a dollar! So, we watched television instead."