What does avise mean?
"Avise" is an archaic English verb meaning to advise, inform, or make someone aware of something. It shares its origin and its meaning with the modern verb "advise," and in earlier centuries the two forms coexisted freely: writers might say they were "avised" of news — that is, informed of it — or that someone had been "avised" to take a particular course of action, meaning counselled to do so. Today the word has effectively retreated from everyday speech, surviving chiefly in literary works, historical documents, and deliberately archaic pastiche. A modern reader encountering "avise" should understand it as an older spelling and synonym of "advise" rather than a distinct concept. Because it so closely mirrors the familiar word, using "avise" today risks reading as a misspelling unless the writer intends an antique flavour; for ordinary purposes, "advise," "inform," or "apprise" are the natural choices, leaving "avise" as a curiosity of English word history rather than a living tool.
verbTo advise, inform, or make aware of something; to give notice or counsel. Now largely archaic, surviving mainly in literary and legal-historical contexts.
- To inform someone of something; to make aware or give notice.
- To give counsel or advice to someone.
"The messenger avised the king of the approaching fleet before nightfall."
"The herald avised the court that the treaty had been signed."
"She avised him to wait until morning before sending his reply."
"Avise" is simply "advise" wearing medieval dress — it once meant exactly the same thing, and Shakespeare's contemporaries used both without blinking.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of avise
"Avise" derives from Old French "aviser," formed on Latin roots meaning to look at or consider (related to "viser"/"videre", "to see"), which gave both the senses of considering carefully and of informing oneself or others. The word entered Middle English alongside its sibling form "advise," which arose from the same Old French source via different phonological development. Both have cognates across Romance languages, including French "aviser" and Spanish "avisar" (to notify). Over time "advise" won out in English, leaving "avise" as a largely obsolete variant.
How avise is actually used
"Avise" belongs to a formal, historical register. In contemporary English it would strike most readers as an error for "advise" unless clearly used for deliberate archaic effect in fiction, poetry, or quotation from older texts.
Easily confused with avise
"Advise" is the standard modern verb meaning to offer counsel or a recommendation, whereas "avise" is an older variant with essentially the same sense that has fallen out of common use.