advocacy

American  

[ad-vuh-kuh-see] / ˈæd və kə si /

noun

plural

advocacies

1. the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending; active espousal.

   He was known for his advocacy of states' rights.

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advocacy British  

/ ˈædvəkəsɪ /

noun

1. active support, esp of a cause

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Other Word Forms

• nonadvocacy
  noun
• preadvocacy
  noun

Etymology

Origin of advocacy

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English advocacye, from Medieval Latin advocātia; see advocate, -acy

Explanation

When you give your active support to an idea or cause, you are showing your advocacy for that cause. Your advocacy for an animal rights group might help raise money to save stray pups. The noun advocacy comes to English from a term used in Roman law. An advocate was a professional whose job was to plead cases in front of a court of law. That meaning led to the verb form advocate, as well as advocacy, to describe the work of an advocate. "The lunchroom staff were advocates for healthier school lunches; their advocacy was supported by parents and the school board; however, the students were reluctant to give up their cookies and chips."

Example Sentences

“From age 30 to a hypothetical age 90 actual death, that could increase the death benefit two or threefold,” says Weber, who is also treasurer of the Life Insurance Consumer Advocacy Center.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Advocacy groups including Equal Rights Advocates, Child USA and Sanctuary for Families have backed her efforts, warning that allowing retaliatory defamation claims to proceed could chill survivors from coming forward.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

“It was a recipe for failure from the beginning,” said Crystal Sandoval, a legal representative for El Paso’s Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, who visited the camp weekly until a recent measles outbreak.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Alexandra Saieh, Head of Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy, says the more obstacles in place, the further it impedes the ability to offer effective humanitarian assistance and causes "a catastrophic impact on people in Gaza."

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

"Talk; if you can, to the point, but anyhow talk," has been the motto of Advocacy from time immemorial.

From A Book About Lawyers by Jeaffreson, John Cordy

Related Words

• advancement
• assistance
• backing