Definition of 'council'
Word forms: plural councils
1. countable noun
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
3. countable noun [with singular or plural verb, usu in names]
4. countable noun [with singular or plural verb, usually singular]
In some organizations, the council is the group of people that controls or governs it.
5. countable noun
A council is a specially organized, formal meeting that is attended by a particular group of people.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
council
Word Frequency
council in British English
noun
▶ USAGE Avoid confusion with counsel2.
a body of people elected or appointed to serve in an administrative, legislative, or advisory capacity
a student council
3. See the council
4.
a meeting or the deliberation of a council
5. (modifier)
a council chamber
council offices
6. (modifier) British
a council house
a council estate
7. Australian
8. Christianity
an assembly of bishops, theologians, and other representatives of several churches or dioceses, convened for regulating matters of doctrine or discipline
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C12: from Old French concile, from Latin concilium assembly, from com- together + calāre to call; influenced also by Latin consilium advice, counselWord Frequency
council in American English
noun
2.
a group of people chosen as an administrative, advisory, or legislative assembly
3.
a.
the legislative body of a city or other municipality
5.
a.
6.
the discussion or deliberation in a council
adjective
7. British
council houses
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
council in American English
(ˈkaunsəl)
noun
council, counsel, and consul are not interchangeable. council is a noun. Its most common sense is “an assembly of persons convened for deliberation
or the like.” It is generally used with a singular verb. A member of such a group
is a councilor. counsel is both noun and verb. Its most common meaning as a noun is “advice given to another”:
His counsel on domestic relations is sound. A person giving such advice is a counselor. In law, counsel means “legal adviser or advisers” and can be either singular or plural. As a verb,
counsel means “to advise.” The noun consul refers to the representative of a government who guards the welfare of its citizens
in a foreign country1.
an assembly of persons summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation, or advice
2.
a body of persons specially designated or selected to act in an advisory, administrative, or legislative capacity
the governor's council on housing
3. (in certain British colonies or dependencies)
4.
an ecclesiastical assembly for deciding matters of doctrine or discipline
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1125–75; ME co(u)nsile ‹ AF cuncil(e), OF concile ‹ LL concilium synod, church council (L: assembly), prob. equiv. to L con- con- + -cil(āre), comb. form of calāre to summon, convoke + -ium -ium; ME -s- by assoc. with AF cunseil counsel]Examples of 'council' in a sentence
council
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In other languages
council
British English: council
/ˈkaʊnsəl/ NOUN
A council is a group of people elected to govern a town or other area.
The city council has decided to build a new school.
- American English: council /ˈkaʊnsəl/
- Arabic: مَجْلِس
- Brazilian Portuguese: conselho grupo de pessoas
- Chinese: 政务会
- Croatian: vijeće
- Czech: rada úřad
- Danish: råd forsamling
- Dutch: raad
- European Spanish: ayuntamiento municipio
- Finnish: neuvosto
- French: conseil réunion
- German: Sitzung
- Greek: συμβούλιο
- Italian: consiglio
- Japanese: 審議会
- Korean: 회의 회의
- Norwegian: råd
- Polish: rada posiedzenie
- European Portuguese: conselho grupo de pessoas
- Romanian: consiliuclădire
- Russian: совет собрание
- Latin American Spanish: concejo
- Swedish: kommunfullmäktige
- Thai: สภาท้องถิ่น
- Turkish: meclis belediye vb
- Ukrainian: рада
- Vietnamese: hội đồng
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Definition of council from the Collins English Dictionary
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