Sconsigliano

Sconsigliano is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb sconsigliare, which means to discourage or to advise against something. It is used when the subject (they) expresses that a person or a group should not undertake a course of action or should avoid a certain option.

Etymology and formation: sconsigliare derives from the verb consigliare, meaning to advise, with the privative prefix s- attached to indicate negation or discouragement. The root consigliare itself comes from Latin consiliāre, related to consilium (council, advice). The prefix s- in Italian appears in several verbs to convey opposition or negation, and in sconsigliare it yields the sense of dissuasion rather than prohibition.

Grammar and usage: the construction typically involves sconsigliare followed by di + infinitive to express discouragement of an action, as in sconsigliano di partire subito (they discourage leaving right now). It can also take a person or group as indirect object: sconsigliano agli studenti di intraprendere quel percorso (they discourage students from taking that path). In journalistic or formal prose, sconsigliano is often used with the subject understood or specified, as in the sentence I medici sconsigliano di viaggiare in caso di febbre alta. Synonyms include avvertire contro, scoraggiare, o disincentivare, depending on nuance.

Nuance: sconsigliare conveys professional or authoritative discouragement rather than a mere preference. It is less strong than prohibire (to prohibit) but stronger than merely suggesting caution. Usage tends to appear in advisory, medical, consumer, or editorial contexts.