Admonishment

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A stern warning or expression of disapproval directed at someone for their wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior
2. A formal or serious reprimand given to someone in response to their misconduct or poor choices
3. An expression of disapproval meant to correct someone's behavior or warn against future mistakes

Etymology: "Admonishment" is an English word built from "admonish" plus the suffix "-ment," which turns a verb into a noun naming the act or result of the action. The verb "admonish" came into English through Old French from Latin "admonere," meaning "to remind" or "to warn," from "ad" (toward) and "monere" (to advise, to warn). The Latin root "monere" also gave English "monitor," "monition," and "premonition," all of which share the sense of pointing something out so a person will take notice. The suffix has its own path. It descends from a Proto-Italic ending "-mentom," which came into Latin as "-mentum," a suffix forming nouns of result or means, and passed into Middle English through Old French "-ment." English then attached it freely to native and borrowed verbs, so "admonishment" is a modern-era formation alongside the older "admonition," which entered English through French from the same Latin root.

Synonyms: warning, caution, rebuke, reprimand, advice

Antonyms: praise, commendation, endorsement