Unavised

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Done without careful consideration, deliberation, or the guidance of others, often leading to a rash or unwise result
2. Acting or decided without counsel or thoughtful reflection, in a way that is hasty and imprudent
3. Describing a choice or action taken rashly, without first seeking advice or weighing its likely consequences

Etymology: "Unadvised" is the older, fuller form, and the prefix does most of the work. The "un-" is the native English negating prefix, attached here to "advised," the past participle of "advise." Advised once meant "wise" or "considerate" as well as "counseled," so unadvised originally described a person acting without thought or deliberation. That sense of rashness is what survives, and the word has been used in this way for centuries. The newer "unadvised" in the sense of "not having received advice" is a separate, rarer usage, and the word's core meaning remains that of ill-considered action. The participle "advised" traces back through Old French "aviser" to Late Latin "advisare," meaning to look at or consider, from Latin "ad-" plus "visare," a frequentative of "videre," to see. So the word's deepest roots are in the act of looking carefully before deciding.