What does misadvised mean?
Misadvised means having been given poor, misleading, or inappropriate advice, especially advice that led to a mistaken decision or undesirable result. It is commonly used for people, organizations, governments, and institutions, as in “the board was misadvised by its legal team.” The word implies that the recipient of the advice is not necessarily careless or foolish; rather, the guidance itself was flawed. In this respect it is more specific than “misguided,” which can indicate faulty judgment or a generally misguided approach. The expression is relatively formal and often appears in reporting, political discussion, legal contexts, and business commentary. Understanding the word highlights an important distinction in evaluating mistakes: a decision may be reasonable when made on the basis of information available at the time, even if that information or the advice received was wrong.
adjectiveHaving been given bad or inappropriate advice; acting on or resulting from faulty guidance.
- Having been given advice that is wrong, inappropriate, or based on mistaken information.
"The company was misadvised by its financial consultants and made several poor investments."
"The minister was misadvised about the consequences of the policy and issued a public correction."
"Several investors were misadvised by a promoter whose claims about the company were false."
Sometimes the problem is not the decision itself but the advice that seemed sensible at the time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does misadvised come from?
The word is formed from the prefix “mis-” and “advise,” using a standard English pattern in which the prefix indicates a wrong or defective version of an action. “Advise” comes through Old French adviser from Latin advisare, a form related to the root of “advice” and “advisable.” The compound meaning 'having received bad advice' developed in modern English, alongside related forms such as “misadvise” and the earlier-established “misguided.”
Related word forms
How misadvised is actually used
The term is relatively formal and generally implies that the person or organization acted reasonably in response to faulty advice. It is less common than the broader adjective 'misguided'.
Easily confused with misadvised
Misadvised means having received bad advice, whereas misguided describes a person or plan whose judgment or direction is faulty.
Advised means having received advice, while misadvised means the advice received was unsuitable, misleading, or mistaken.