Admonish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Admonished; p. pr. & vb. n. Admonishing.]
Etymology: [OE. amonesten, OF. amonester, F. admonester, fr. a supposed LL. admonesstrare, fr. L. admonere to remind, warn; ad + monere to warn. See Monition.]
1. To warn or notify of a fault; to reprove gently or kindly, but seriously; to exhort. "Admonish him as a brother." 2 Thess. iii. 15.
2. To counsel against wrong practices; to cation or advise; to warn against danger or an offense; -- followed by of, against, or a subordinate clause. Admonishing one another in psalms and hymns. Col. iii. 16. I warned thee, I admonished thee, foretold The danger, and the lurking enemy. Milton.
3. To instruct or direct; to inform; to notify. Moses was admonished of God, when he was about to make the tabernacle. Heb. viii. 5.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for admonish; he lists it under reprove.
Where he writes about it:
Admonish is the mildest of reproving words, and may even be used of giving a caution or warning where no wrong is implied, or of simply reminding of duty which might be forgotten. — from reprove
Censure, rebuke, and reprove apply to wrong that has been done; warn and admonish refer to anticipated error or fault. — from reprove