admonitory

American  

[ad-mon-i-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ædˈmɒn ɪˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

1. tending or serving to admonish; warning.

   an admonitory gesture.

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Other Word Forms

• admonitorily adverb
• unadmonitory adjective

Etymology

Origin of admonitory

From the Medieval Latin word admonitōrius, dating back to 1585–95. See ad-, monitory

Explanation

Something that's admonitory is meant to correct or scold. If you're caught throwing paper airplanes in class, your teacher will probably give you an admonitory lecture. Use the adjective admonitory to describe something that's done in a warning or reproachful way. When kids are loud in the library, the librarian might shush them in an admonitory way. If your piano teacher always finds fault with your playing, she is consistently admonitory. The root of admonitory is the verb admonish, which means "to scold or reprimand." The Latin origin of both is admonere, "remind or suggest," but also "warn or urge."

Example Sentences

A piratical pastor in a boxcar and two rich, tuxedoed drunks on the same train are like admonitory bookends on the subjects of class and self-determination.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2021

But the tone of “State Funeral” is more meditative than admonitory.

From New York Times • May 6, 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also head of the Chinese military, gave an admonitory address at a naval review in the South China Sea in April, calling for efforts to build a world-class navy.

From Washington Times • May 16, 2018

She is often admonitory, self-reflective, and maternal in the span of a single column.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 26, 2016

At last, Narcissa hurried up a street named Spinner’s End, over which the towering mill chimney seemed to hover like a giant admonitory finger.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling