advocacy

noun ad·vo·ca·cy \ ˈad-və-kə-sē \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Definition of advocacy

: the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal : the act or process of advocating (see ²advocate) something

known for his advocacy of gay rights

See advocacy defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of advocacy from the Web

Other left-wing advocacy groups, such as Swing Left and Indivisible, are helping to recruit volunteers and generate grass-roots support in competitive districts.

— New York Times, "4,500 Tech Workers, 1 Mission: Get Democrats Elected," 13 July 2018
Those Koch advocacy groups, Americans for Prosperity and Concerned Veterans for America, have trained their advertising fire on five Democratic senators up for re-election from red and purple states: Sens.

— fredreka schouten, USA TODAY, "Exclusive: Secret money funds more than 40% of outside congressional ads," 12 July 2018
Emily’s List, a Democratic-leaning advocacy group that supports women in politics, has plunged into the crowded primary for Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "Fox News Power Rankings: Hello, Wisconsin," 12 July 2018
Protect the Harvest, like other ranching advocacy groups, pressedpublic officials for the Hammonds’ release.

— matt pearce, latimes.com, "Pardoned by Trump, Oregon ranchers ride home in style on Pence ally's private jet," 12 July 2018
Classified as advocacy groups, they are not required to identify their donors or disclose much of their spending.

— recode staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: China says Trump’s U.S. is “opening fire on the entire world”," 5 July 2018
The controversial bill, which has been criticized by the LGBTQ community and advocacy groups, focuses on the rights a parent has, as the bill says, in knowing whether or not their child is experiencing gender dysphoria.

— jennifer calfas, Time, "An Ohio Bill Would Force Teachers and Doctors to Out Transgender Children," 4 July 2018
Some of Berrada's tactics are raising red flags with advocacy groups and attorneys who work with low-income renters.

— kevin crowe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'He'll evict you in a minute.' Landlord quietly becomes a force in Milwaukee rental business...and eviction court," 13 July 2018
Upcoming political events in the Bay Area.. THURSDAY U.S. aid to Egypt: Amr Kotb, advocacy director at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, discusses the politics of U.S. aid to Egypt at a World Affairs Council event. $20, $7 for students.

— SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area political events: New citizen voting, Resistance training," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'advocacy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of advocacy

Middle English advocacie "intercession," borrowed from Anglo-French advocassie "pleading," borrowed from Medieval Latin advocatia "patronage," from Latin advocātus ¹advocate + -ia ²-y

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

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Law Dictionary

advocacy

noun ad·vo·ca·cy \ ˈad-və-kə-sē \

legal Definition of advocacy

1 : the profession or work of an advocate

2 : the action of advocating, pleading for, or supporting a cause or proposal

a consequence of his moving advocacy
—W. O. Douglas

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Spanish Central: Translation of advocacy Nglish: Translation of advocacy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of advocacy for Arabic speakers

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