advocacy

play

noun ad·vo·ca·cy \ ˈad-və-kə-sē \

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

See advocacy defined for kids

Recent Examples of advocacy from the Web

If permit renewals are put on hold, more than 1,400 recipients will lose their ability to work each day, according to a report by the Center for American Progress and FWD.us, two advocacy groups.

— jill colvin, The Seattle Times, "A torn Trump still weighing fate of young immigrants," 30 Aug. 2017
If permit renewals are put on hold, more than 1,400 recipients will lose their ability to work each day, according to a report by the Center for American Progress and FWD.us, two advocacy groups.

— jill colvin, chicagotribune.com, "A torn Trump still weighing fate of DACA recipients as deadline looms," 30 Aug. 2017
The proposals, and the Clinton administration’s embrace of it, received pushback from immigrant advocacy groups and some Republicans, who argued that reducing legal immigration would in fact hinder the economy.

— priscilla alvarez, The Atlantic, "Can a Decades-Old Immigration Proposal Pass Under Trump?," 21 Aug. 2017
For one thing, Lee’s advocacy for surrender left much to be desired.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Confederate Monuments Were Built to Change History, Not Preserve It," 17 Aug. 2017
Founded in 2003 as Cageprisoners.com, CAGE has built a track record as an advocacy group for Muslim prisoners.

— Longreads, "How a Journalist Uncovered the True Identity of Jihadi John," 16 Aug. 2017
Gremillion has led the Food Policy Institute since 2015, overseeing the group’s research and advocacy.

— tanner walters, SI.com, "What Can Be Done To Improve Food Safety at MLB Ballparks?," 8 Aug. 2017
While Thiel’s $1.25 million donation to the Trump campaign could have been a rounding error on the Silicon Valley billionaire’s bank statement, his political advocacy cost him untold social capital in the overwhelmingly liberal Bay Area.

— peter thiel, vanityfair.com, "Peter Thiel Sours on Donald Trump," 7 Aug. 2017
Billy Easton, director of the public education advocacy group Alliance for Quality Education, told WSJ of Nixon.

— nick romano, EW.com, "Cynthia Nixon reportedly eyed for New York gubernatorial run," 5 Aug. 2017

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

see ¹advocate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Law Dictionary

advocacy

play

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

Learn More about advocacy

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up advocacy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

advocacy

Definition of advocacy

Recent Examples of advocacy from the Web

Origin and Etymology of advocacy

Law Dictionary

advocacy

legal Definition of advocacy

Learn More about advocacy

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Silent Letters

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

True or False?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

advocacy

Definition of advocacy

From the M-W Editors

Recent Examples of advocacy from the Web

Origin and Etymology of advocacy

Law Dictionary

advocacy

legal Definition of advocacy

Learn More about advocacy

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066