admonition

noun

ad·​mo·​ni·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈni-shən 

1

: gentle or friendly reproof

remembered the admonition to keep it simple

2

: counsel or warning against fault or oversight

the principal's admonition against bullying

Synonyms

• advice

Examples of admonition in a Sentence

an admonition to be careful

He offered words of advice and admonition.

Recent Examples on the Web

MacManus initially embraced her mother’s admonition that education was the way to get ahead and didn’t make a career out of Cielito Lindo. —Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025

Even with the other guys' admonitions not to, under any circumstances, be themselves, Dee and Charlie's improbable success in charming these scions of the Philly upper crust had the guys — and us — both baffled and anxiously awaiting an ugly twist. —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025

There was no such admonition against his feeling here. —Literary Hub, 3 July 2025

When Dylan Mason was an incoming freshman at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, his mom dropped him off at his dormitory with three earnest admonitions. —Matt Alderton, USA Today, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ammonicioun, admonicioun, borrowed from Anglo-French amonicion, borrowed from Latin admonitiōn-, admonitiō, from admoni- (variant stem of admonēre "to admonish") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for admonition

• abolition
• acquisition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition
• deposition

Kids Definition

admonition

noun

ad·​mo·​ni·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈnish-ən 

: a gentle or friendly criticism or warning