advice

noun ad·vice \ əd-ˈvīs \

Definition of advice

1 :recommendation regarding a decision or course of conduct :counsel

… shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties …
—U.S. Constitution

offering medical advice

a word of advice

2 :information or notice given —usually used in plural

… the latest advices from Mexico …
—Henry David Thoreau

3 :an official notice concerning a business transaction

payment advices

See advice defined for English-language learners

See advice defined for kids

Examples of advice in a Sentence

Parties have to make decisions involving millions of dollars based on incomplete information; to help make those decisions, they inevitably seek advice from pollsters they trust. —Noam Scheiber, New Republic, 24 Feb. 2003
Of all the e-mail advice I've received about my herniated disk, from acupuncture to zen, the most immediately applicable has been this: Channel your daily rage away from your spine. —Robert Lipsyte, New York Times, 21 July 2002
My advice is to sell your old car and get a new one.
Take my advice and sell your old car.
He needs advice from an expert.
She's been giving him some expert advice about investing.
“May I ask your advice about something?” “Certainly. I'm always happy to give advice when asked for it.”

Recent Examples of advice from the Web

The town's hospital, called the John C. Fremont Healthcare District, and its 14 patients did not evacuate, at the advice of fire officials, said the facility's interim CEO Matthew Matthiessen.

— reuters, Alaska Dispatch News, "Massive wildfire destroys dozens of structures in California," 20 July 2017
Of all the participants’ measured traits, those three improved most significantly across the study, as individuals were coached to change diets, take vitamin supplements, exercise, or consult their doctors for medical advice.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "‘Scientific wellness’ study—and a famed biologist’s spinoff company—divide researchers," 19 July 2017
The question arises, can computers replace humans and give sound financial advice?

— kansascity, "Should you trust a robo-advisor for financial planning?," 18 July 2017
Getting through a hurricane while pregnant might feel more stressful, but the rules and advice remain the same: Be prepared, remain calm and stay put.

— rebecca mcbane, South Florida Parenting, "Weathering Pregnancy: For soon-to-be moms in South Florida, hurricane season is extra stressful," 13 July 2017
USA TODAY Sports LOS ANGELES — At first, all the mayor asked of Casey Wasserman was advice.

— rachel axon, USA TODAY, "Casey Wasserman brings humility, business savvy to LA 2024 bid," 6 July 2017
The majority of his work was with the Teacher's Solutions Manual, which offers solutions and advice on some approaches to problems and addressing issues faced by Advanced Placement Calculus teachers.

— Daily Southtown, "Calculus teachers turn for answers to Marist math coach," 5 July 2017
Today, the series continues with the introduction of Dorothy Dix's column in The Picayune, the forerunner to generations of advice columns.

— NOLA.com, "Dear Dorothy: New Orleans and the birth of the modern advice column," 5 July 2017
Paris Davis, a friend who is in the Navy, offered some advice.

— lamond pope, Lake County News-Sun, "Bigger than basketball: Zion-Benton's Jaalen Ray to join Air Force," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'advice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of advice

Middle English avis, advis view, opinion, from Anglo-French, from the Old French phrase ce m'est a vis that appears to me, partial translation of Latin mihi visum est it seemed so to me, I decided

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year