noun

le avis

opinion · review

C'est ce que pense une personne sur un sujet ou une situation.

Definition & meaning

The word avis has two primary meanings in French:

Opinion or Point of View: It refers to a person's judgment, thought, or stance on a particular subject. It is commonly used in the expression "à mon avis", which means "in my opinion." In a professional or formal context, it can also mean a formal recommendation or a technical assessment given by an expert.
Notice or Announcement: It refers to an official communication, public notice, or warning intended to inform people about something. For instance, an "avis de recherche" is a wanted poster or a missing person's notice, and an "avis de passage" is a delivery notice left by a mail carrier.

In some contexts, it can also signify "advice" or "counsel," though it is less common than other terms for general advice.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: Avis is a masculine noun. A notable grammatical feature is that its spelling does not change between the singular and plural forms because it already ends in "s."

Singular: un avis
Plural: des avis

Word Origin: The term originates from the Old French locution "ce m'est à vis," which meant "it is my view" or "it seems to me." This was derived from the Latin phrase "ad visum," composed of "ad" (to/at) and "visum" (seen/viewed), which is the past participle of the verb "videre" (to see). Therefore, the word literally relates to how one "sees" a situation.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

Regarding opinion: opinion, jugement, point de vue[?](vocabuo://word/point de vue), sentiment.
Regarding notices: annonce, avertissement, information, communiqué, notification.
Regarding advice: conseil, recommandation.