Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

advise

American  
[ad-vahyz] / ædˈvaɪz /

verb (used with object)

  • advises,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • advised,
    past participle,  past
  • advising
    present participle
  1. An image of the word advise as defined by to give counsel to; offer an opinion or suggestion as worth following.

    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 byof ).

    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)

  • advises,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • advised,
    past participle,  past
  • advising
    present participle
  1. to take counsel; consult (usually followed bywith ).

    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 British  
/ ədˈvaɪz /

verb

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

    he advised the king

    to advise caution

    he advised her to leave

  2. formal to inform or notify

  3. obsolete to consult or discuss

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of advise

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; see advice)

Explanation

To advise someone is to give them advice, or counsel. If you live in Iceland and a friend visiting you from Hawaii asks what he should pack, advise him to bring warm clothes and snow boots. Advise comes from a Latin word for vision. We want people to advise us if we think they can see the whole picture better than we can. For this reason, we often seek the advice of trained people. Financial advisors advise their clients on which funds to invest in. Legal advisors advise their clients on the law. To advise can also be to give notice. You should advise your boss of your decision to quit at least two weeks in advance.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing advise

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:

Citing upbeat earnings and a pullback in valuations, Goldman Sachs strategists advise putting more money into stocks for the next three months.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

If further studies confirm the importance of exercise frequency, the findings could eventually influence how public health organizations advise people to stay active.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

She told BBC Radio 4's Radical podcast that while she could not veto decisions, she could scrutinise and advise ministers to make sure decisions also benefited people who were not yet born.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

So financial planners typically advise buying a Medicare supplement insurance policy known as Medigap Plan G for people who can afford it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

“Go and bring that boy down to his dinner, tell him it’s all right, and advise him not to put on tragedy airs with his grandfather. I won’t bear it.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

No. 1, Whitson advises, is ensuring you’re consuming enough carbohydrates—and doing so every few hours.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

Twice, we try to visit the neighbourhood where Rafeef and her family live, but a community leader advises us it is too dangerous.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

“He’s not this executive coach managing things from on high,” said Rob Ash, a consultant who advises the Crimson on play-calling and strategy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

The bank advises investors to stay selective and valuation-conscious.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

From lessons on royal society, I know Gabrielle advises the princess and oversees the other ladies.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

The spokesperson advised people to read the force's online safety guides, external.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

Canada already had advised airlines not enter Saudi airspace, while France issued a warning to avoid much of it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

But instead of concerning ourselves with measuring our cortisol, she advised thinking instead of what might affect it, and making adjustments there.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

Numerous flights at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport were delayed or cancelled, while the airport advised travellers of the "necessity" to contact airlines before their trips.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Nesson advised his client to surrender to authorities.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

So Deloitte was apparently advising on the falsification of financial records.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

"Operations at the data centre have been completely suspended," it added, advising users to activate disaster-recovery plans as the platform operated in emergency mode.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

Analysts remain bullish with almost all of those submitting recommendations to FactSet advising buy, and the mean target price is almost double the current level of 262,000.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

It acts as a consultant of sorts, according to Hoffmeister, advising merchants on inventory depth, item descriptions and where to sell.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

I can still hear his upbeat foreign accent advising me to be my best self around the opposite sex.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training