advise

verb

ad·vise əd-ˈvīz

advised; advising

Synonyms of advise next

transitive verb

: to give (someone) a recommendation about what should be done : to give advice to

Her doctor advised her to try a drier climate.

: caution, warn

advise them of the consequences

: recommend

advise prudence

: to give information or notice to : inform

advise them of their rights

intransitive verb

: to give a recommendation about what should be done

advise on legal matters

: to talk with someone in order to decide what should be done : consult

advise with friends

Did you know?

Advise was borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century as avise (spelling variants with the d found in the Modern English began showing up in the 15th century). The word is derived from the Anglo-French aviser, itself from avis, meaning "opinion." That avis is not to be confused with the Latin word avis, meaning "bird" (an ancestor of such English words as avian and aviation). Instead, it results from the Old French phrase ce m'est a vis ("that appears to me"), a partial translation of Latin mihi visum est, "it seemed so to me" or "I decided." We advise you to remember that the verb advise is spelled with an s, whereas the related noun advice includes a stealthy c.

Example Sentences

… the White House let it be known that the President had privately rebuked his Defense Secretary for not advising him of the extent of the problem. —

John F. Dickerson et al., Time, 17 May 2004

Bureau of Land Management officials are recruiting a variety of Wyoming residents to serve on a working group that will advise the agency on possible changes to the level and pace of oil and gas development … —

Jeff Gearino, Casper Star Tribune, 3 Mar. 2003

When I told my lawyer that my boyfriend was going to remodel my house, she advised me to get a strict estimate and regular billings … —

Jane Smiley, Harper's, June 2000

Los Angeles Center advised me of a Boeing 747 at my one o'clock position and 500 feet below. —

Barbara Cushman Rowell, Plane & Pilot, 1994

An internist … advised me of an experimental drug. —

Robert E. Neger, American Medical News, 2 Sept. 1991

I strongly advise you to sell your old car. We advised them to save their money. My doctor advised me to lose some weight. She advises the President on foreign affairs. We were thinking of buying that house, but our lawyer advised against it. I advise selling your old car. He advises patience when dealing with children. The boss asked us to keep him advised about how the project is going. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Because of this, teeth rinsing and brushing is advised following consumption. —

Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 16 May 2023 But Becker and Shay and Howell have surely been advised by their lawyers to avoid such theatrics. —

Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 16 May 2023 Tickets for Friday’s show may soon be as scarce as copies of that RSD vinyl release have turned out to be, so haste is advised in officially signing up for this five-decades-on nostalgia. —

Chris Willman, Variety, 15 May 2023 Grice, a 1991 UAPB graduate, along with co-presenter Adriian Gardner from the University of Central Arkansas, discussed the importance of providing quality advising services to students and promoting their success by offering personalized and equitable support. —

Special To The Commercial, Arkansas Online, 14 May 2023 Shelter officials led a town hall to inform migrants about the end of the border restriction on Thursday night while also advising them about President Joe Biden’s new rule that would heavily restrict their access to asylum. —

The Arizona Republic, 11 May 2023 The station advised anyone who could not reach 911 through their cellphone to call (530) 332-1200. —

Quakebot, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2023 Remember when you were advised to stay at least six feet away from people, or else risk getting COVID? —

Anne Lagamayo, Longreads, 11 May 2023 Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has been selected to serve on a national board advising President Joe Biden's reelection campaign ahead of the 2024 election. —

Michael Murney, Chron, 11 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'advise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English avisen, advisen "to look at, examine, find out, take thought, consider, decide, instruct, counsel," borrowed from Anglo-French aviser, adviser "to look at, examine, consider, give advice to, inform," partly from a- (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + viser "to see, catch sight of" (going back to Vulgar Latin *vīsāre, alteration, by conjugational change, of Latin vīsere "to go and look, look," frequentative of vidēre "to see"), partly verbal derivative of avis "thought, judgment" — more at advice