What does advisable mean?
"Advisable" is an adjective used to describe a course of action that is wise, prudent, or worth recommending under the circumstances. When something is advisable, a reasonable person would endorse doing it: it is advisable to carry water on a long hike, to consult a lawyer before signing a contract, or to arrive early for an international flight. The word belongs mainly to formal and neutral registers — medical guidance, legal documents, travel advisories, and official instructions — where it lends an air of considered authority. It most often appears in the pattern "it is advisable to do something," functioning as a gentler, more measured alternative to direct commands. Its negative form, "inadvisable," serves as a polite but firm way of discouraging an action. Derived from the verb "advise," which traces back through Old French to the Latin "advisare" (to consider), "advisable" entered English in the late eighteenth century and remains a staple of careful, evaluative English.
adjectiveWorth doing or recommending as a sensible or prudent course of action; wise or expedient in the circumstances.
- (of a course of action) wise, prudent, or worth recommending in the circumstances
"It is advisable to book your tickets well in advance during the holiday season."
"Doctors agreed that surgery was advisable given the severity of the injury."
"Travellers were advised that carrying cash was advisable in the more remote regions."
Despite sounding like pure opinion, "advisable" has been quietly steering English speakers toward sensible decisions since the late 1700s — it's the polite way of saying "don't do that."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of advisable
"Advisable" derives from the verb "advise," which entered Middle English from Old French "aviser," itself from Late Latin "advisare," meaning to consider or deliberate (from Latin "ad-" + "visare," to look at). The adjective formed with the suffix "-able" appeared in English in the late eighteenth century, expressing the sense "capable of being advised" that shifted to mean "worthy of being advised" — hence wise or prudent. Cognates sharing this root include "advice," "advisor," and "advisory."
Related word forms
How advisable is actually used
"Advisable" belongs chiefly to formal and neutral registers — official guidance, medical or legal advice, and written instructions — and sounds stilted in casual conversation, where "a good idea" is preferred. It typically appears in predicative position ("it is advisable to...") rather than before a noun. Its negative counterpart "inadvisable" is equally common in formal warnings.
Easily confused with advisable
"Advisory" describes something that gives advice or carries a warning (an advisory committee, a weather advisory), while "advisable" describes an action that is itself wise or recommended.
"Advisedly" means deliberately and after careful consideration (usually of an action taken), whereas "advisable" evaluates whether an action should be taken at all.