advise

[ ad-vahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, ad·vised, ad·vis·ing.

1. to give counsel to; offer an opinion or suggestion as worth following:

   I advise you to be cautious.

   Synonyms: caution, admonish, counsel

2. to recommend as desirable, wise, prudent, etc.:

   He advised secrecy for the sake of national security.

   Synonyms: suggest

3. to give (a person, group, etc.) information or notice (often followed by of ):

   The investors were advised of the risk. They advised him that this was their final notice.

   Synonyms: acquaint, apprise, notify, inform

verb (used without object)

, ad·vised, ad·vis·ing.

1. to take counsel; consult (usually followed by with ):

   I shall advise with my friends.

   Synonyms: consult, deliberate, confer

2. to offer counsel; give advice or recommend particular actions, conduct, etc.:

   I shall act as you advise.

advise

/ ədˈvaɪz /

verb

1. to offer advice (to a person or persons); counsel

   to advise caution

   he advised her to leave

   he advised the king

2. formal.
   trsometimes foll byof to inform or notify
3. obsolete.
   intrfoll bywith to consult or discuss

Other Words From

• pread·vise verb (used with object) preadvised preadvising
• read·vise verb readvised readvising

Word History and Origins

Origin of advise¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; late Middle English; replacing Middle English avisen, from Anglo-French, Old French aviser, verbal derivative of avis “opinion” (from a vis; advice )

Word History and Origins

Origin of advise¹

C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin advīsāre (unattested) to consider, from Latin ad- to + visāre (unattested), from vīsere to view, from vidēre to see

Example Sentences

The review made a number of recommendations including advising all departments to produce exception approval forms explaining why it would not be appropriate to run a fair and open recruitment process.

From BBC

“The goal should be changing behavior,” says Jay Jordan, a longtime criminal justice reform activist who spent 7½ years in prison and advised the Proposition 6 campaign.

From Los Angeles Times

It has emerged over the years that staff members from “The Tonight Show” consulted with a magician, James Randi, who advised them on how to prepare the props to stymie him.

From New York Times

Most schools have been shut and people have been advised to stay indoors - though those whose livelihoods depend on working outdoors can’t afford to do so.

From BBC

Those who have purchased the carrots are advised to not to consume them and instead, should throw them away.

From Salon

Related Words

• admonish
• caution
• charge
• commend
• direct
• encourage
• instruct
• point out
• prepare
• recommend
• suggest
• urge
• warn

Advise Vs. Advice

What's the difference between advise and advice?

Advise is a verb that means to give advice—guidance about what someone should do.

Despite their very similar spelling, advice and advise are pronounced differently. Advise rhymes with prize, while advice rhymes with ice.

Because the two words are so closely related, they are often used in the same contexts, so the challenge is simply to remember which spelling to use for the noun and which spelling to use for the verb.

Our advice? Remember that, unlike advise, advice never gets an s, even at the end (advice is a mass noun, so it’s never pluralized as advices).

Here’s an example of advise and advice used correctly in a sentence.

Example: I advise you to get some professional financial advice before you start a business.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between advise and advice.

Quiz yourself on advise vs. advice!

Should advise or advice be used in the following sentence?

If you want my _____, just ask.