Definition
nounAn opinion offered to guide behavior in an effort to be helpful.
nounDeliberate consideration; knowledge.
Sentence Examples
I need your advice.
You should have acted on her advice.
Her first step was to contact a solicitor for advice.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd
Proto-Italic *ad
Latin ad
Old French a
Proto-Indo-European *weyd-
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti
Proto-Indo-European *widéh₁yeti
Proto-Italic *widēō
Latin videō
Latin vīsus
Old French vis
Old French avisbor.
Middle English avys
English advice
From Middle English avys, from Old French avis, rebracketed from the phrase ce m'est a vis (“I think”, “it seems to me”, literally “it is to my view”), where vis is from Latin vīsus (“vision, sight”). The unhistoric -d- was introduced during the 15th century due to influence from advise and ad-, see advance. Doublet of aviso. See vision, and compare avise, advise.
Mostly displaced native Old English rǣd (see modern rede).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"We may give advice, but we can not give conduct."
— 1732, Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack:
"Everyone always asks what my advice is, and my advice is don’t overintellectualize your art."
— 2022 October 14, Justin Curto, “The 1975’s Matty Healy Prefers Writing Lyrics He’s Afraid Of”, in Vulture, archived from the original on 18 Oct 2022:
"How shall I dote on her with more advice,
That thus without advice begin to love her?"
— c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
"(g) A Reserve Bank will issue to each depositor following any transaction affecting book-entry securities maintained for such depositor under this part a confirmation thereof in the form of an advice (serially numbered or otherwise) which shall describe the amount and maturity date thereof, and include pertinent transaction data."
— 1990, United States Office of the Federal Register, The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America:
"However, an advice of an incoming settlement payment order will be given to an off-line receiving bank only when the receiving bank has notified the Reserve Bank in writing"
— 1992, Benjamin Geva, The Law of Electronic Funds Transfers - Issue 3: