advocatus Dei

noun

ad·​vo·​ca·​tus Dei

¦ad-və-¦kā-təs-ˈdē-ˌī;

¦ad-və-¦kä-təs-ˈdā-ˌē,

¦äd-vō-¦kä-ˌtu̇s-

: an official of the Roman Catholic Congregation of Rites whose duty is to refute the objections raised by the advocatus diaboli against the beatification or canonization of a person

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

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