council definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

coun·cil [ kównss'l ] (plural coun·cils)

noun

Definition:

1. people running local affairs: a group of people elected to govern a local district

2. committee: an appointed or elected body of people with an administrative, advisory, or representative function

3. church assembly: an assembly of church representatives who meet to decide matters of discipline and doctrine

4. council meeting: a meeting of a council

5. meeting for discussion: a meeting to discuss or decide something

[Pre-12th century. Via Anglo-Norman cuncile< Latin concilium "calling together"]

Word Usage


	council or counsel? Council is a noun only, meaning a body of people, especially in an advisory or administrative context. Counsel is both a noun and a verb, and has to do with advice, particularly of a professional nature, and the giving of it. The noun counsel most often means a lawyer or lawyers, whereas a counselor gives some other kind of professional advice, as in a debt counselor or marriage counselor. The verb describes the activity of such advisers: The company psychologist counsels employees experiencing stress.International financial analysts counseled caution.