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devil's advocate
What is the origin of the idiom "devil's advocate" and when to use it?
The idiom "devil's advocate" is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is thought to have come from the Catholic Church's canonization process, in which a church official known as the "promotor fidei" (promoter of the faith) was tasked with arguing against the canonization of a candidate. The promotor fidei's job was to play the devil's advocate, presenting all the negative evidence against the candidate in order to ensure that the decision to canonize them was made carefully and objectively. This expression is used to describe someone who intentionally takes a position that is opposed to the majority opinion in order to stimulate debate or discussion.
Example
The reviewer played devil's advocate in their assessment of the film, pointing out its flaws even though they overall enjoyed it.
The politician was accused of being a flip-flopper, but he defended himself by saying that he was just playing devil's advocate in order to stimulate debate.
The teacher asked the students to play devil's advocate and argue against the author's thesis statement.
I know everyone thinks we should support the new zoning proposal, but I'm going to play devil's advocate and say that I think it will have some negative consequences.
The lawyer played devil's advocate during the cross-examination of the witness, trying to poke holes in their testimony.
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