advice
Americannoun
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an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct, etc..
I shall act on your advice.
- Synonyms:
- guidance, caution, warning, admonition
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a communication, especially from a distance, containing information.
Advice from abroad informs us that the government has fallen.
Recent diplomatic advices have been ominous.
- Synonyms:
- word, intelligence
-
an official notification, especially one pertaining to a business agreement.
an overdue advice.
noun
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recommendation as to appropriate choice of action; counsel
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(sometimes plural) formal notification of facts, esp when communicated from a distance
Usage
What's the difference between advice and advise? Advice is a noun that means guidance about what someone should do. Advise is a verb that means to give someone advice about something.Despite their very similar spelling, advice and advise are pronounced differently. Advice rhymes with ice, while advise rhymes with prize.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 advice and advise 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 advice and advise.
Related Words
Advice, counsel, recommendation, suggestion, persuasion, exhortation refer to opinions urged with more or less force as worthy bases for thought, opinion, conduct, or action. Advice is a practical recommendation as to action or conduct: advice about purchasing land. Counsel is weighty and serious advice, given after careful deliberation: counsel about one's career. Recommendation is weaker than advice and suggests an opinion that may or may not be acted upon: Do you think he'll follow my recommendation? Suggestion implies something more tentative than a recommendation: He did not expect his suggestion to be taken seriously. Persuasion suggests a stronger form of advice, urged at some length with appeals to reason, emotion, self-interest, or ideals: His persuasion changed their minds. Exhortation suggests an intensified persuasion or admonition, often in the form of a discourse or address: an impassioned exhortation.
Other Word Forms
- preadvice noun
Etymology
Origin of advice
First recorded in 1250–1300; late Middle English advise; replacing Middle English avis (with ad- ad- for a- a- 5 ), Old French a vis (taken from the phrase ce m'est a vis “that is my impression, it seems to me”), from Latin ad ( ad- ) + vīsus “looking, sight” ( visage )
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.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance, who chaired the meeting, said afterwards that "difficult conditions" were expected to remain this week, and she urged people to follow advice on staying safe.
From BBC
The Scottish government is still gathering information on that and will have to make a decision based on advice from the very expert at the centre of this row - Professor Alexis Jay.
From BBC
He says it gives advice on transfers, predicts how many points a certain player will achieve each week, and when it's best to play or bench them.
From BBC
A letter to parents said the "difficult decision" was taken following advice from external experts.
From BBC
The charity on Roman Pavement offers offers warm space sessions as well as advice and support.
From BBC
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.
