ad ‧ vice S2 W2 /ədˈvaɪs/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ advice , ↑ adviser , ADVISOR , ↑ advisability ; adjective : ↑ advisable ≠ ↑ inadvisable , ↑ advisory ; verb : ↑ advise ; adverb : ↑ advisedly ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: avis 'opinion' , probably from ce m'est a vis 'that appears to me' ]
an opinion you give someone about what they should do:
You should have followed my advice.
advice on/about
advice on saving energy
I need some advice about my computer.
on sb’s advice
On her doctor’s advice (=because her doctor advised her) Smith decided to take early retirement.
► Do not confuse the noun advice /ədˈvaɪs/ with the verb advise /ədˈvaɪz/ : He gave me some useful advice. | Can you advise me on college courses?
GRAMMAR
Advice is an uncountable noun. Do not say 'advices’ or 'an advice'.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ give somebody some advice
My father once gave me some useful advice.
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The scheme has given advice and training to scores of youngsters taking part.
▪ get some advice
I decided to get some advice from a specialist.
▪ ask sb’s advice
Can I ask your advice about something?
▪ ask for advice
If in doubt, always ask for advice.
▪ take/follow sb’s advice ( also act on sb’s advice formal ) (=do what someone advises you to do)
He followed his doctor’s advice and went on a low-fat diet.
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The king acted on his advice and ordered his soldiers to get ready for battle.
▪ listen to sb’s advice ( also heed sb’s advice formal ) (=pay attention to someone’s advice)
I wish I had listened to her advice.
▪ ignore/disregard sb’s advice (=not do what someone tells you)
The accident happened because she ignored their advice.
▪ go/turn to somebody for advice
People often go to him for advice about their problems.
▪ seek advice (=try to get some advice )
If you have any of these symptoms you should seek urgent advice.
▪ offer advice
They can offer advice to those who wish to quit drinking.
▪ pass on some advice (=give someone advice that you have learned or been given)
Readers can pass on advice about gardening.
■ adjectives
▪ good/excellent/useful/helpful
The book is full of good advice.
▪ sound (=sensible)
I thought that this was sound advice.
▪ wrong
Unfortunately all the advice they gave me was wrong.
▪ bad advice
Financial advisors can be fined if they give bad advice to a client.
▪ practical advice
The programme aims to offer practical advice on healthy eating.
▪ detailed advice
The website gives detailed advice about making bombs.
▪ professional/expert/specialist advice
It’s advisable to get professional advice before starting any building work.
▪ legal/medical/financial etc advice
Good legal advice can be expensive.
▪ independent/impartial advice (=from someone who is not involved and will not get an advantage)
The banks claim to offer independent financial advice.
▪ conflicting advice (=very different opinions about what you should do)
I’ve asked several people, and they’ve all given me conflicting advice.
■ phrases
▪ a piece of advice ( also a bit of advice informal )
Let me give you a piece of advice.
▪ a word of advice spoken (=used when advising someone what to do )
A word of advice: look at the small print in the contract very carefully.
■ advice + NOUN
▪ an advice centre/service/desk/bureau
They offer a 24-hour advice service to customers.
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THESAURUS
▪ advice noun [uncountable] an opinion that is given to someone about what they should do:
His advice was to give up smoking.
▪ tip noun [countable] a simple but useful piece of advice about the best way to do something:
useful tips on healthy eating
▪ recommendation noun [countable] advice about what to do, usually given by an expert or a group of people who have studied the matter:
one of the major recommendations of the report
▪ guidance noun [uncountable] helpful general advice, especially about what to do in your life, your work etc:
Young people need guidance from their parents.
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a careers guidance counsellor