What does advisement mean?
Advisement is a formal noun denoting careful consideration or deliberation, typically undertaken by someone with the authority to decide — a judge, board, or committee weighing a matter before acting. It is best known through the fixed legal and administrative phrase 'to take a matter under advisement,' which signals that a decision has been deferred pending further reflection rather than rejected outright. In American legal usage, the word carries an additional sense: the act of advising itself, as when a judge gives formal instructions or guidance to a jury. Derived from the same Latin root that gave English 'advise' and 'advice,' advisement entered the language via Old French and has long carried a tone of gravity and officialdom. It is rarely heard in casual conversation, but in courtrooms, legislatures, and boardrooms it remains a precise and respected way of saying that judgment is being withheld until all sides have been duly considered.
nounCareful consideration or deliberation, especially by a person in authority before making a decision. In American legal usage, it also denotes the act of advising, particularly a judge's formal advice to a jury.
- Careful consideration or deliberation before reaching a decision (often in the phrase 'under advisement').
- (US law) The act of advising, especially a judge's formal instruction or advice to a jury.
"After much advisement, the committee voted to postpone the merger until the following fiscal year."
"The board took the proposal under advisement and promised a decision within two weeks."
"In American courts, the judge's advisement to the jury clarifies how the evidence should be weighed."
Rarely used; advisement is almost always treated as an uncountable abstraction referring to the process of consideration.
"The record shows several advisements issued by the presiding judge during the trial."
When an American judge says a motion is 'taken under advisement,' it doesn't mean the judge is asking for advice — it means the verdict is being weighed behind closed doors.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of advisement
Advisement derives from the Latin verb 'advidere' (to look at, consider), which passed into Vulgar Latin and then Old French as 'aviser,' meaning to consider or reflect upon. Middle English borrowed the word from Anglo-Norman French in the medieval period, when it was used both for the giving of counsel and for the act of deliberating. Its sibling terms 'advise,' 'advice,' and 'adviser' share this same Romance lineage, making advisement part of a small family of words rooted in the idea of thoughtful looking-over.
How advisement is actually used
The word is chiefly formal and appears most often in legal, governmental, and institutional contexts. The phrase 'take/hold something under advisement' is standard in American legal and administrative English, meaning to reserve judgment pending further thought. It is rare in everyday casual speech.
Easily confused with advisement
"Advice" is the guidance or recommendation itself, while "advisement" is the process of considering such guidance or deliberating over a matter.
An "advertisement" is a public notice promoting a product or service, whereas "advisement" refers to careful consideration or counsel; the words merely share a similar ending.