[a. (14th c.) Fr. advocacie, -atie, avocacie, ad. med.L. advocātia, n. of state, f. advocātus: see ADVOCATE and -ACY.]

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  1.  The function of an advocate; the work of advocating; pleading for or supporting.

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1413.  Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, I. xv. (1859), 15. Blysful lord!… I haue spoken of aduocacye, soo that thou sholdest myn aduocate be.

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1483.  Caxton, Gold. Leg., 427/1. He had ocupyed and exerced moche holyly and deuoutelye the fayte of aduocacye in the bysshoppes courte.

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1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 47. Shall he want herein the applause or advocacy of Satan.

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1849.  Cobden, Sp., 21. I will never cease the advocacy of this question.

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1867.  Carlyle, Remin. (1881), II. 13. It is a strange trade, I have often thought, that of advocacy.

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1872.  Yeats, Growth & Viciss. Comm., 273. Whose voice then first began to be heard in advocacy of freedom of commerce.

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  2.  = ADVOWSON, ADVOCATION 5.

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1876.  Freeman, Norm. Conq., III. xii. 194. Bishop Gervase … petitioned the king to grant the royal rights over the see, the rights of advocacy or patronage.

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