v., -vised, -vis·ing, -vis·es. v.tr.
- To offer advice to; counsel.
- To recommend; suggest: advised patience.
- Usage Problem. To inform; notify.
- To take counsel; consult: She advised with her associates.
- To offer advice.
[Middle English avisen, advisen, from Old French aviser, from avis, advice. See advice.]
SYNONYMS advise, counsel, recommend. These verbs mean to suggest a particular decision or course of action: advised him to go abroad; will counsel her to be prudent; recommended that we wait.
USAGE NOTE The use of advise in the sense of "inform, notify" was found acceptable by a majority of the Usage Panel in an earlier survey, but many members would prefer that this usage be restricted to business correspondence and legal contexts. Thus one may say The suspects were advised of their rights, but it would be considered pretentious to say You'd better advise your friends that the date of the picnic has been changed.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
