What does advocacy mean?
Word: Advocacy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Advocacy means speaking up in public for a cause or an idea that you believe in.
Synonyms: support
Antonyms: opposition
How do you spell advocacy?
Syllables: ad - vo - ca - cy
Tricky part: The second vowel is so weak in ordinary speech that students write advacacy or advecacy. It is an o.
Watch out for: advacacy, advecacy, advicacy
Memory tip: Practise once with a loud, round o in the second beat, as in vote. Then go back to normal speech and keep the o in your head.
Advocacy in a sentence
Example 1: Her advocacy for clean air brought the whole street to the meeting.
Example 2: Thanks to the students' advocacy, the canteen has stopped using plastic plates.
Example 3: The club's advocacy for street trees reached the town council.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to a Latin verb meaning to call to one's aid, so advocacy began with the idea of being called on for help.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
advocacy
a) backing
b) neglect
c) disbelief
d) rumour
Show answer
a) backing. When you speak up for an idea, you give it your backing.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
advoc_c_
a) a,y
b) i,y
c) e,y
d) a,i
Show answer
a) a,y. An a sits between the two c's, and the word closes with y.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
dyaccova
a) adequacy
b) vacancy
c) accuracy
d) advocacy
Show answer
d) advocacy. The jumble holds a d and a v, and only one option has both.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) advocacy
b) petition
c) voluntear
d) campaign
Show answer
c) voluntear. A volunteer ends in eer, not ear.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would an advocacy group for rivers most likely do?
a) ask leaders to stop waste dumping
b) print river maps for tourists
c) sell tickets for boat rides
d) race boats on Sunday mornings
Show answer
a) ask leaders to stop waste dumping
2. Which of these counts as an act of advocacy?
a) taking a short walk through a park
b) drawing a map of the local park
c) eating a packed lunch in a park
d) writing to the mayor to save a park
Show answer
d) writing to the mayor to save a park
