admonition

noun

ad·​mo·​ni·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈni-shən How to pronounce admonition (audio)
1
: gentle or friendly reproof
remembered the admonition to keep it simple
2
: counsel or warning against fault or oversight
the principal's admonition against bullying

Examples of admonition in a Sentence

an admonition to be careful He offered words of advice and admonition.
Recent Examples on the Web Blank’s admonition about the horrors of stasis is a crucial reminder to those in government trying to restrain the evolution of commerce today. John Tamny, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Grossman’s attorney argued that prosecutors had not met the standard for second-degree murder because the suspect did not get formal prior admonition that her behavior was extremely dangerous and showed a reckless disregard for life. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 The remarks came after months of public and private admonitions from the Biden administration for Israel to take a more surgical approach in a conflict that has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza. Erica L. Green, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Stewart’s meatier response to his critics on this front was buried in the monologue — in an admonition that the oxygen and attention the election would inevitably consume should be tempered by sustained civic participation. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 It can be understood to be an admonition to embrace life in all its extremes and messiness, and Davidsen does this through her art. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 25 Jan. 2024 Initially, having internalized Appelbaum’s admonition, Biden and his congressional allies went on a wild spending binge. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 In retrospect, the endless warnings and admonitions of Israeli human rights organizations and of left-wing politicians and journalists about the damage done by Netanyahu’s policies vis-à-vis the Palestinians seem almost a prophecy. Ksenia Svetlova, The New Republic, 31 Oct. 2023 When Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, Guy Stern’s father grasped the danger that awaited Jewish families like theirs and offered his son an admonition. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'admonition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ammonicioun, admonicioun, borrowed from Anglo-French amonicion, borrowed from Latin admonitiōn-, admonitiō, from admoni- (variant stem of admonēre "to admonish") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of admonition was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near admonition

Cite this Entry

“Admonition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admonition. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

admonition

noun
ad·​mo·​ni·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈnish-ən How to pronounce admonition (audio)
: a gentle or friendly criticism or warning

More from Merriam-Webster on admonition

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!