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advice

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noun [uncountable] American English pronunciation: advice

/ədˈvaɪs/

Other entries for this word

an opinion that someone gives you about the best thing to do in a particular situation
You can always contact your teacher for advice and support.
Ask your father for advice.
advice on/about:
We are here to give people advice about health issues.
legal/medical/expert etc. advice:
Tenants involved in a dispute with their landlord should seek legal advice.
advice that:
He ignored the doctor's advice that he ought to lose weight.
on someone's advice:
She's acting on her lawyer's advice.
on the advice of someone (=because of someone's advice):
She applied to New York University on the advice of her teacher.
give advice:
Let me give you some advice.
take someone's advice (=do what someone advises):
I took his advice and left.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of advice
Collocations: advice
Collocations
advice
▪ expert, financial, legal, medical, practical, professional
advice
▪ accept, ask for, disregard, follow, get, give, heed, ignore, need, obtain, offer, provide, receive, reject, seek, take, want

Get It Right!: advice

Get it right: advice

Advice is an uncountable noun, so:

▪ it is never used in the plural

▪ it never comes after an or a number

✗ Naomi Wolf gave me a good advice in her book.

✓ Naomi Wolf gave me some good advice in her book.

✗ They were always there to give practical advices.

✓ They were always there to give practical advice.

Q: How can I refer to a single item of advice, rather than to advice in general?

A: Advice is mostly used on its own or with some.

If you're worried about it, contact your doctor for advice.

I think you should get some advice from a professional.

You can also say a word of advice or a piece of advice. But none of these expressions is common.

Don't confuse advice (a noun) and advise (a verb):

✗ I would advice you to choose this company.

✓ I would advise you to choose this company.

Expressing yourself: advice

Ways of giving advice

You should/You ought to/If I were you/Why don't you/It's a good idea to	used when giving friendly advice
You'd better	used when giving stronger advice
Take it from me	used when giving advice that is based on your own experience
If you want my advice	used when offering advice to someone, even though they may not want to hear what you are telling them
You would be well advised	used when giving advice in more formal and serious contexts

Examples:

I think you ought to see the doctor about that lump.

If I were you I'd stick with your job until something better comes along.

Why don't you just tell her the truth? ♦ It's a good idea to check the weather forecast before you leave.

You'd better hear her side of the story before you decide.

You'd better not drive if you're feeling tired.

Take it from me, it's not worth using one of those cheap car rental companies.

If you want my advice, you should stay away from men like that.

You would be well advised to consult a lawyer before committing yourself.

This is the American English definition of advice. View British English definition of advice.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

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