Adviser

An adviser is a person who provides advice or guidance in a specific domain. Advisers may be professionals such as consultants, counselors, lawyers, financial planners, educators, or policymakers who help individuals, organizations, or governments make informed decisions. The spelling adviser tends to be used in British English, while advisor is more common in American English; many organizations use the form aligned with their regional practice or internal style guide.

In practice, adviser denotes a role rather than a mandate to decide. Examples include an academic adviser who guides students, a legal adviser who reviews legal options, a financial adviser who helps with investments, and a policy adviser who analyzes or develops strategies. While advising is the act, the adviser is the person performing it. Some titles mix spellings, and the words adviser and advisor are often used interchangeably in ordinary writing, though preference may vary by region or organization.

Etymology traces adviser to the verb advise, via Old French conseiller and Latin advisare, with the agent-noun suffix -er. The related adjective is advisory, and the noun form for the act of offering guidance is advice.

Related terms include adviser/advisor, advisory, advice, guidance, consultant, and mentor.