to give notice, advice, or intimation to (a person, group, etc.) of danger, impending evil, possible harm, or anything else unfavorable: They warned him of a plot against him. She was warned that her life was in danger.
to urge or advise to be careful; caution: to warn a careless driver.
to admonish or exhort, as to action or conduct: She warned her employees to be on time.
to notify, advise, or inform: to warn a person of an intended visit.
to give notice to (a person, group, etc.) to go, keep at a distance, etc. (often followed by away, off, etc.): A sign warns trespassers off the grounds. A marker warned boats away from the dock.
to give authoritative or formal notice to (someone); order; summon: to warn a person to appear in court.
verb (used without object)
to give a warning; caution: to warn of further disasters.
Origin of warn
before 1000;Middle Englishwarnen,Old Englishwarnian; cognate with Germanwarnen. Cf. ware2
Related formswarn·er, nounpre·warn, verb (used with object)re·warn, verb (used with object)un·warned, adjectivewell-warned, adjective
Warn,caution,admonish imply attempting to prevent another from running into danger or getting into unpleasant or undesirable circumstances. To warn is to speak plainly and usually in strong terms: to warn him about danger and possible penalties. To caution is to advise about necessary precautions, to put one on one's guard about possibly harmful circumstances or conditions, thus emphasizing avoidance of undesirable consequences: to caution him against driving in such weather.Admonish suggests giving earnest, authoritative advice with only tacit references to danger or penalty: to admonish a person for neglecting his duties.
Old English warnian "to give notice of impending danger," also intransitive, "to take heed," from West Germanic *warnojanan (cf. Old Norse varna "to admonish," Old High German warnon "to take heed," German warnen "to warn"); related to Old English wær "aware, cautious" (see wary). Related: Warned; warning.
