Play devil's advocate
/pleɪ ˈdɛv.əlz ˈæd.və.kət/neutralUK · US · AU · IE · CA
What does “Play devil's advocate” mean?
Play devil's advocate means to argue against an idea, even if you do not agree with the argument, just to test whether the idea is good.
When you play devil's advocate, you take the opposite side in a debate. You might agree with the original idea, but you present counterarguments anyway. This helps everyone find weak spots and think carefully before making a final decision.
Saying this phrase softens your criticism. It lets other people know that you are not attacking them personally. It signals that you only want to help the group explore every possibility.
When do people say it?
People use this phrase before offering an opposing point of view to show they are only testing an idea.
“Let me play devil's advocate for a minute: what happens if our customers dislike the new design?”
Is it formal or informal?
Register: neutral. It is most at home in both everyday conversation and professional writing. Most common in UK and US and AU and IE and CA.
Where does it come from?
This phrase comes from an old role in the Roman Catholic Church. An official called the 'devil's advocate' had the job of arguing against making a person a saint.
Origin confidence: Well documented
How do you say “Play devil's advocate” in other languages?
Last reviewed 2026-09-11