Refers to a person who defends or advocates for someone or something, often in a legal, social, or ideological context.
He is known as an advocate for environmental protection.
弁護者は被告の無実を主張した。
The defender argued for the defendant's innocence.
Compound of 弁護 (defense, advocacy) and 者 (person). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common Sino-Japanese pattern for agent nouns.