National Security Council

American  

noun

U.S. Government.

1. the council, composed of the president, vice president, secretary of state, secretary of defense, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that determines means by which domestic, foreign, and military policy can best be integrated for safeguarding the national security. NSC

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National Security Council Cultural  

1. A committee in the executive branch that advises the president on matters relating to domestic, military, and foreign security. The NSC also directs the operation of the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Example Sentences

Usually, the National Security Council holds interagency meetings—first among midlevel experts, then with Cabinet secretaries and the president himself—to hammer out positions on various major issues.

From Slate • May 16, 2026

Needham is usually accompanied by one or two US officials from the state department or National Security Council, several sources said.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Gorka’s formal title is deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said negotiations with the U.S. are set to begin Friday in Islamabad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

The last hurrah for the two aging warriors was sounded during a marathon session of the National Security Council on January 6, 1958, when Stassen proposed a new framework for talks with the Soviet Union.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik