advise

verb

ad·​vise əd-ˈvīz 

advised; advising

transitive verb

1

a

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

Her doctor advised her to try a drier climate.

b

: caution, warn

advise them of the consequences

c

: recommend

advise prudence

2

: to give information or notice to : inform

advise them of their rights

intransitive verb

1

: to give a recommendation about what should be done

advise on legal matters

2

: 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.

Synonyms

• adjure
• admonish
• counsel

Examples of advise in a Sentence

… 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.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises residents in areas with excessive heat to wear light clothing, drink lots of water, use their air conditioning and avoid from exerting themselves outside in order to prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke. —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 19 May 2025

The release advises anyone with further information to contact the North Little Rock Department Tip Line at [phone] or Detective Adam Williams at 501-771-7167. —Parker Mancino, Arkansas Online, 18 May 2025

Skywatchers are advised to check NOAA’s Aurora view line, which is available for tonight and tomorrow night, as well as its 30-minute forecast and X account, where the latest forecasts are posted. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025

Out of his cuffs, Hutchinson argued, officers decided Dominguez was not technically under arrest and could be questioned without advising him of his constitutional rights to remain silent and ask for a lawyer. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 17 May 2025

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing advise

• advise one against

Rhymes for advise

• applies
• apprise
• arise
• assize
• baptize
• belies
• bitwise
• capsize
• chastise
• chordwise
• clockwise
• coastwise

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Kids Definition

advise

verb

ad·​vise əd-ˈvīz 

advised; advising

1

a

: to give advice to

b

: recommend sense 3

advised caution

2

: to give information or notice to

were advised of the news

3

: to talk over a problem or decision

advised with her parents

adviser noun

or advisor

-ˈvī-zər 

Legal Definition

advise

verb

ad·​vise əd-ˈvīz 

advised; advising

transitive verb

1

: to give advice to : counsel

advise them to draw up a will

2

: to give information or notice to

advise them of their rights

intransitive verb

1

: to give advice

advise on legal matters

2

: to take counsel

advise with your lawyer

adviser noun

also advisor

əd-ˈvī-zər