Inadvisable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not recommended or wise to do because it would likely lead to negative consequences or problems
2. Unwise to undertake due to the potential for adverse outcomes or complications
3. Not prudent to pursue as it may result in unfavorable effects or issues

Etymology: "Inadvisable" is a plain English compound: the prefix "in-" meaning "not," joined to "advisable." Its history is therefore really the history of its parts. The first, "in-," came into English from Latin, where it was a negating prefix, and English freely attaches it to adjectives to reverse their sense. The base, "advisable," is built from "advise" plus the suffix "-able." "Advise" traces back through Old French "aviser," meaning to look at or consider, and that verb is itself built from Latin "ad-" ("to") and "visus," the past participle of "videre," "to see." So an advisor was, at root, someone who looks toward a matter, and to advise something was to see it carefully before deciding. The suffix "-able," meaning "capable of being," arrived in English through Old French from Latin "-abilis," and "advisable" describes what can be recommended. Put together, "inadvisable" means not capable of being recommended, which is why it carries the sense of a course of action best avoided.

Synonyms: unwise, ill-advised, imprudent, unrecommended, unsafe

Antonyms: advisable, wise, recommended, sensible, prudent