Advocation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of supporting or recommending a cause, idea, or proposal
2. A practice of publicly expressing support for something or someone
3. The action of speaking or writing in favor of a particular issue or plan

Etymology: "Advocation" arrived in English from Latin "advocātiō," a noun built from "advocare," meaning "to call to one's aid" or "to summon." The Latin verb combines "ad-" ("to") with "vocare" ("to call"), so the original sense was a summoning or calling upon someone for help, the same root that gives English "vocal" and "vocation." Latin "advocātiō" later came to refer to the act of pleading on another's behalf, which is the sense that carries into the modern meaning of speaking or writing in favor of a cause. The word is a doublet of "advowson," a term from English law for the right to nominate a clergyman to a church benefice. Both descend from the same Latin source but reached English through different routes, one through the legal and ecclesiastical vocabulary and the other as a more general term, so the two words look related yet carry very different meanings.

Synonyms: advocacy, support