Dictionary

unadvisable en · ADJ

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Latin ad Old French a Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *widtós Proto-Italic *wissos Latin vīsus Old French vis Old French avis Old French aviserbor. Middle English avisen ▲ Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *-(h₁)seti Proto-Indo-European *wéydseti Proto-Italic *weidsō Latin visō Late Latin advisōder. English advise Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English advisable English unadvisable From un- + advisable.

Meanings

1. Inadvisable.
   • No steps were taken to enforce it, as, from the financial embarrassment of the company and the uncompleted state of the line, litigation was unadvisable. 1941 June, C. Hamilton Ellis, Charles E. Lee, “The Welsh Highland Railway—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 251:
   • Will go back there to get it in a week or so, but may find the harvest unadvisable for reasons of security. 1948, William Burroughs, letter, 5 Jun 1948
2. (archaic) Unwilling to take advice.
   • Together with pride there will naturally arise an unadvisable and unconvincible spirit. 1853, John Wesley, edited by John Emory, The Works of the Rev. John Wesley, Volume 1:
3. (archaic) Imprudent.

Forms

Deriveds

unadvisableness · unadvisably