admonition
Americannoun
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admonitions
plural
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an act of admonishing.
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counsel, advice, or caution.
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a gentle reproof.
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a warning or reproof given by an ecclesiastical authority.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of admonition
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin admonitiōn- (stem of admonitiō ); see ad-, monition; replacing late Middle English amonicioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin; see admonish
Explanation
Bringing a skateboard to school is a great way to get an admonition from a teacher not to ride it down the halls. An admonition is advice with a hint of scolding, a warning not to do something. When you're cautioned or warned about some mistake you might be just about to make, or some looming danger, you're receiving an admonition. The strength and tone of an admonition determine whether it's a gentle, polite suggestion or more of a stern warning. In Scotland, an admonition is an official legal term that means a verbal punishment for someone who's been found guilty but set free.
Vocabulary lists containing admonition
The Giver
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The Diary of a Young Girl
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Metamorphosis
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"You have no previous convictions and I have taken the view that admonition is appropriate."
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The “go it slow” admonition was the mother’s milk of Democratic politics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
Jessica Lautz, vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors, offers this admonition to homeowners selling for the first time in years: “It’s a very different housing market today.”
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025
Eilish’s admonition and Parton’s example resonates because it underscores a broader cultural conversation: wealth comes with choices.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2025
Perhaps Hooker at last had recalled Lincoln’s admonition, “Beware of rashness.”
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Given the IRS’s guidance and admonitions, tax professionals said, most taxpayers didn’t roll the dice on that literal reading.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
His frequent admonitions on social media saying “Stay Tuned” or “Thank you for your attention to this matter” did nothing to negate that perception.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2025
Criminologists tend to speak in caveats, with warning of reversion to the mean and admonitions to wait for better data, but even they must admit: These are some eye-catching numbers.
From Slate ● May 7, 2025
Respected by fire agencies across the country, Cohen and Pyne have found their straight-talk admonitions often disregarded or dismissed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2025
On the contrary, all I ever got were admonitions not to be so noisy.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
