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; 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

Because babies’ organs and systems are still developing, exposures can also have outsize effects, said Susan Little, the California legislative director for Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit advocacy organization sponsoring the diaper bill.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Extensive health studies were conducted on the Apollo astronauts, but technology has advanced greatly in the 50 years since, said Bruce Betts, chief scientist at the Planetary Society, a space advocacy group.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Whittaker testified before Congress in 1968, and his advocacy helped establish North Cascades National Park and the Pasayten Wilderness in Washington state, as well as Redwood National Park in California.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

“When the deadline passed without explanation or follow-through, that hope turned into something closer to despair,” said Shawn VanDiver, who runs the advocacy group Afghan Evac and closely monitors the situation at Camp As Sayliyah.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Following my first McMillian argument, we had filed almost two dozen death penalty appeals, and the court was starting to respond to our advocacy.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• advancement
• assistance
• backing