advise
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
'Advise' is the normal verb when you tell someone what you think they should do. 'Recommend' often points more to a choice or plan than to the person receiving guidance: a doctor can advise a patient, but also recommend a test. 'Suggest' is softer and less direct, often used when the speaker does not want to sound pushy. 'Warn' overlaps when the advice comes from danger: you advise someone to leave early, but warn them about ice on the road. 'Counsel' is more formal and often used for serious or professional guidance over time. Compare: 'The nurse advised Leo to rest for two days,' 'The guide warned us not to swim there,' and 'The lawyer counseled the family before the sale.'
Common collocations
Etymology
English took advise from Anglo-French aviser in the 14th century. That French verb was linked to avis, meaning 'opinion' or 'judgment', and to an older idea of something seeming or coming into view, from Latin videre, 'to see'. Early English uses could mean 'look at carefully' or 'consider'. From there, the word developed its main modern senses: telling someone what seems best, and later formally informing someone of something.