advocate
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advocate
A person who actively and emphatically supports an idea, cause, right, or belief; a proponent or supporter.
Er ist ein leidenschaftlicher Verfechter der Pressefreiheit.
He is a passionate advocate of freedom of the press.
'Der Verfechter' (the advocate) is derived from the verb 'etwas verfechten' (to advocate/defend something). This verb means to support a cause energetically and with words. The ending '-er' indicates the person who performs this action.
Er verficht seine Meinung auch dann, wenn alle anderen dagegen sind.
He defends his opinion even when everyone else is against it.
The idea or cause that a Verfechter (advocate) supports is usually in the genitive. This construction is typical of written language.
Sie ist eine bekannte Verfechterin der Menschenrechte.
She is a well-known advocate of human rights.
To emphasize a person's conviction, 'Verfechter' (advocate) is often combined with strong adjectives. Common examples are 'ein leidenschaftlicher' (a passionate), 'ein überzeugter' (a convinced), or 'ein entschiedener' (a determined) Verfechter.
Er war ein überzeugter Verfechter der traditionellen Landwirtschaft.
He was a convinced advocate of traditional agriculture.
opponent
'der Gegner' and 'der Verfechter' are often on different sides of an idea or cause. A 'Gegner' is against something or works against a position. A 'Verfechter' actively supports something and defends that position. So the contrast is: being against something or fighting for it. 'Verfechter' sounds somewhat more formal and is especially suitable for ideas, rights, or beliefs.
Milan ist ein Verfechter von mehr Bewegung in der Schule.
Milan is an advocate of more physical activity in school.
Nach dem Gespräch bleibt er ein Gegner des neuen Plans.
After the conversation, he remains an opponent of the new plan.