Advocacy is speaking up on behalf of somebody who needs support. Patient advocacy, an advocacy group, independent advocacy.
In health and social care it is a formal service: an advocate helps somebody say what they want and holds services to it, without deciding for them — and that last part is the whole discipline. It also means public campaigning for a cause. Note that the Latin means calling to your aid.
1nounadvocacySpeaking up on behalf of somebody who needs support.
“The charity provides advocacy for elderly people who struggle to deal with the council.”
advocacy is a form of support.
Medieval Latin advocatia comes from advocare, to call to one's aid — ad plus vocare, to call. Voice and vocation come from the same calling.
Medieval Latin
advocātia
Middle French
advocacie
Middle English
advocacie
English, today
advocacy
From Middle English advocacie, advocacye, advocatye, from Middle French advocacie, advocatie, avocacie and Medieval Latin advocātia; equivalent to advocate + -cy.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA