advise
Americanverb (used with object)
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to give counsel to; offer an opinion or suggestion as worth following.
I advise you to be cautious.
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to recommend as desirable, wise, prudent, etc..
He advised secrecy for the sake of national security.
- Synonyms:
- suggest
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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.
verb (used without object)
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to take counsel; consult (usually followed bywith ).
I shall advise with my friends.
- Synonyms:
- consult, deliberate, confer
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to offer counsel; give advice or recommend particular actions, conduct, etc..
I shall act as you advise.
verb
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to offer advice (to a person or persons); counsel
he advised the king
to advise caution
he advised her to leave
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formal to inform or notify
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obsolete to consult or discuss
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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have advisedperfect
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has advisedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been advisingperfect progressive
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am advisingprogressive 1st person singular
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are advisingprogressive
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has been advisingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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advisingparticiple
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advisessingular 3rd person
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is advisingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had advisedperfect
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advisedsimple
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was advisingprogressive singular
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were advisingprogressive plural
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advisedparticiple
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had been advisingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing advise
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
In conversations with other therapists, I hear that the same ideological perspective is shaping continuing-education courses and supervision meetings, where senior clinicians advise younger therapists on how to understand patients and conduct treatment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
She added government-funded research showed that pollution is still happening when owners were applying spot-on treatments correctly, so the current advice on application was wrong, as was failing to advise against preventative treatment.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Big Sur business owners advise visitors to travel on weekdays for less traffic and the best hotel rates, and to get on the road as early as possible.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
He has hired law firm Mishcon de Reya to advise him in connection with his ouster.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
If there is any chance that the owl might be able to help me, to advise me, I must go.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
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.
