judge advocate

noun

: an officer assigned to the judge advocate general's corps or department

: a staff officer serving as legal adviser to a military commander

Examples of judge advocate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Dru Brenner-Beck, a retired US Army judge advocate and an expert in international law and the law of armed conflict, is less certain. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026 In one of his first orders upon entering the Pentagon last year, Hegseth fired three top uniformed lawyers known as judge advocate generals (JAGs). — Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2026 The Democratic candidate, Michael Terence Ferguson, is a lawyer and a former Air Force judge advocate. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2026 Hegseth had already taken the highly atypical action of removing the judge advocates general of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, who were responsible for making sure that military actions were legal and authorized. — Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for judge advocate

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of judge advocate was in 1644

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judge

judge advocate

judge advocate general

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Style

“Judge advocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judge%20advocate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Legal Definition

judge advocate

noun

plural judge advocates

: an officer serving under the Judge Advocate General

: an officer charged with administering military justice (as by acting as legal counsel or conducting an appellate review)

judge advocate

noun

Examples of judge advocate in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Legal Definition

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