diff --git a/src/drivers/drv_orb_dev.h b/src/drivers/drv_orb_dev.h
index 060704deaa..42f8e0c35a 100644
--- a/src/drivers/drv_orb_dev.h
+++ b/src/drivers/drv_orb_dev.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 /** Get the minimum interval at which the topic can be seen to be updated for this subscription */
 #define ORBIOCGETINTERVAL	_ORBIOC(16)
 
-/** Check whether the topic is published, sets *(unsigned long *)arg to 1 if published, 0 otherwise */
-#define ORBIOCISPUBLISHED	_ORBIOC(17)
+/** Check whether the topic is advertised, sets *(unsigned long *)arg to 1 if advertised, 0 otherwise */
+#define ORBIOCISADVERTISED	_ORBIOC(17)
 
 #endif /* _DRV_UORB_H */
diff --git a/src/drivers/heater/heater.cpp b/src/drivers/heater/heater.cpp
index 4e442d02ca..c079bae6fc 100644
--- a/src/drivers/heater/heater.cpp
+++ b/src/drivers/heater/heater.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ void Heater::initialize_topics()
 	for (uint8_t x = 0; x < number_of_imus; x++) {
 		_sensor_accel_sub = uORB::Subscription{ORB_ID(sensor_accel), x};
 
-		if (!_sensor_accel_sub.published()) {
+		if (!_sensor_accel_sub.advertised()) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_orb_subscription.cpp b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_orb_subscription.cpp
index 3173accaa3..afe2358bcc 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_orb_subscription.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/mavlink_orb_subscription.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 bool
 MavlinkOrbSubscription::is_published()
 {
-	const bool published = _sub.published();
+	const bool published = _sub.advertised();
 
 	if (published) {
 		return true;
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.cpp
index 9268a21ad9..1b55a6e202 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ Subscription::init()
 bool
 Subscription::update(uint64_t *time, void *dst)
 {
-	if ((time != nullptr) && (dst != nullptr) && published()) {
+	if ((time != nullptr) && (dst != nullptr) && advertised()) {
 		// always copy data to dst regardless of update
 		const uint64_t t = _node->copy_and_get_timestamp(dst, _last_generation);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.hpp b/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.hpp
index 47f87112c9..1e9218ae7f 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/Subscription.hpp
@@ -75,17 +75,17 @@ public:
 	void unsubscribe();
 
 	bool valid() const { return _node != nullptr; }
-	bool published()
+	bool advertised()
 	{
 		if (valid()) {
-			return _node->is_published();
+			return _node->is_advertised();
 		}
 
 		// try to initialize
 		if (init()) {
 			// check again if valid
 			if (valid()) {
-				return _node->is_published();
+				return _node->is_advertised();
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public:
 	/**
 	 * Check if there is a new update.
 	 * */
-	bool updated() { return published() ? (_node->published_message_count() != _last_generation) : false; }
+	bool updated() { return advertised() ? (_node->published_message_count() != _last_generation) : false; }
 
 	/**
 	 * Update the struct
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public:
 	 * Copy the struct
 	 * @param data The uORB message struct we are updating.
 	 */
-	bool copy(void *dst) { return published() ? _node->copy(dst, _last_generation) : false; }
+	bool copy(void *dst) { return advertised() ? _node->copy(dst, _last_generation) : false; }
 
 	uint8_t		get_instance() const { return _instance; }
 	orb_id_t	get_topic() const { return _meta; }
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/SubscriptionInterval.hpp b/src/modules/uORB/SubscriptionInterval.hpp
index 33aad03bd7..001f970cdd 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/SubscriptionInterval.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/SubscriptionInterval.hpp
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@ public:
 
 	bool subscribe() { return _subscription.subscribe(); }
 
-	bool published() { return _subscription.published(); }
+	bool advertised() { return _subscription.advertised(); }
 
 	/**
 	 * Check if there is a new update.
 	 * */
 	bool updated()
 	{
-		if (published() && (hrt_elapsed_time(&_last_update) >= _interval_us)) {
+		if (advertised() && (hrt_elapsed_time(&_last_update) >= _interval_us)) {
 			return _subscription.updated();
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp
index 84127955f4..e7a006e4c3 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceMaster.cpp
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ uORB::DeviceMaster::advertise(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int *instance, in
 				 * something has been published yet. */
 				uORB::DeviceNode *existing_node = getDeviceNodeLocked(meta, group_tries);
 
-				if ((existing_node != nullptr) && !(existing_node->is_published())) {
+				if (existing_node != nullptr && !existing_node->is_advertised()) {
 					/* nothing has been published yet, lets claim it */
 					existing_node->set_priority(priority);
 					ret = PX4_OK;
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp
index 3bce863a80..b6a7a947b0 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.cpp
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ uORB::DeviceNode::write(cdev::file_t *filp, const char *buffer, size_t buflen)
 	/* update the timestamp and generation count */
 	_last_update = hrt_absolute_time();
 
-	_published = true;
+	_advertised = true;
 
 	// callbacks
 	for (auto item : _callbacks) {
@@ -396,8 +396,8 @@ uORB::DeviceNode::ioctl(cdev::file_t *filp, int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 
 		return OK;
 
-	case ORBIOCISPUBLISHED:
-		*(unsigned long *)arg = _published;
+	case ORBIOCISADVERTISED:
+		*(unsigned long *)arg = _advertised;
 
 		return OK;
 
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ int uORB::DeviceNode::unadvertise(orb_advert_t handle)
 	 * of subscribers and publishers. But we also do not have a leak since future
 	 * publishers reuse the same DeviceNode object.
 	 */
-	devnode->_published = false;
+	devnode->_advertised = false;
 
 	return PX4_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp
index ae5847c581..cc55d893ca 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBDeviceNode.hpp
@@ -158,11 +158,11 @@ public:
 	void remove_internal_subscriber();
 
 	/**
-	 * Return true if this topic has been published.
+	 * Return true if this topic has been advertised.
 	 *
 	 * This is used in the case of multi_pub/sub to check if it's valid to advertise
 	 * and publish to this node or if another node should be tried. */
-	bool is_published() const { return _published; }
+	bool is_advertised() const { return _advertised; }
 
 	/**
 	 * Try to change the size of the queue. This can only be done as long as nobody published yet.
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ private:
 	px4::atomic<unsigned>  _generation{0};  /**< object generation count */
 	List<uORB::SubscriptionCallback *>	_callbacks;
 	uint8_t   _priority;  /**< priority of the topic */
-	bool _published{false};  /**< has ever data been published */
+	bool _advertised{false};  /**< has ever been advertised (not necessarily published data yet) */
 	uint8_t _queue_size; /**< maximum number of elements in the queue */
 	int8_t _subscriber_count{0};
 
diff --git a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp
index 66fe3ebaf2..df621b3b1c 100644
--- a/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/uORB/uORBManager.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ int uORB::Manager::orb_exists(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int instance)
 		uORB::DeviceNode *node = _device_master->getDeviceNode(meta, instance);
 
 		if (node != nullptr) {
-			if (node->is_published()) {
+			if (node->is_advertised()) {
 				return PX4_OK;
 			}
 		}
@@ -150,10 +150,10 @@ int uORB::Manager::orb_exists(const struct orb_metadata *meta, int instance)
 		int fd = px4_open(path, 0);
 
 		if (fd >= 0) {
-			unsigned long is_published;
+			unsigned long is_advertised;
 
-			if (px4_ioctl(fd, ORBIOCISPUBLISHED, (unsigned long)&is_published) == 0) {
-				if (!is_published) {
+			if (px4_ioctl(fd, ORBIOCISADVERTISED, (unsigned long)&is_advertised) == 0) {
+				if (!is_advertised) {
 					ret = PX4_ERROR;
 				}
 			}