What does misadvice mean?
Misadvice is noun meaning advice that is wrong, poorly considered, or likely to cause harm. It can refer to mistaken information offered as guidance, but it often carries a stronger implication than simply incorrect advice: following it may lead to damaging or regrettable consequences. The word is especially common in formal and literary contexts, including journalism, education, business, and discussion of public policy. Its related verb, misadvise, means to give someone bad advice or to advise them incorrectly. Although the expression is less frequent in casual speech than bad advice, it is useful when the consequences of the advice itself are important. Misadvice should not be confused with misinformation, which is false or misleading information more broadly and need not have been offered as advice.
nounBad or harmful advice, especially advice that leads a person to make a mistaken or damaging decision.
- Advice that is incorrect, misguided, or harmful.
"The manager's misadvice cost the team several important opportunities."
"She ignored her uncle's misadvice and followed her own judgment."
"The report identifies widespread misadvice about how the medication should be used."
Usually treated as an uncountable noun. The plural form 'misadvices' is not standard in formal English.
"The article examines the effects of institutional misadvice on public health."
Misadvice is advice that sounds helpful but can leave you worse off than before.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does misadvice come from?
Misadvice is formed in English by combining the prefix mis-, meaning 'badly' or 'wrongly,' with advice. Advice itself comes through Old French avis, a word derived from Latin avis, meaning 'opinion' or 'counsel.' The related verb advise developed from the same French and Latin sources, so forms such as adviser and advisory belong to the same lexical family.
Related word forms
How misadvice is actually used
Usually formal and somewhat literary. It is more common in writing than in everyday conversation, where people may simply say 'bad advice'.