council of war


noun
  1. a conference of high-ranking military or naval officers, usually for discussing a major emergency or war problem.

  2. any conference for discussing or deciding upon a course of action.

Origin of council of war

1
First recorded in 1580–90

Words Nearby council of war

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use council of war in a sentence

  • Having called a council-of-war, all the captains agreed that the exploit might be accomplished.

    Hurricane Hurry | W.H.G. Kingston
  • Shortly after sunrise, therefore, they stopped to rest, and hold a council-of-war.

    Running Fox | Elmer Russell Gregor
  • No sooner were we safe within the walls of Dunkirk than we held a very necessary council-of-war on our position.

    David Balfour, Second Part | Robert Louis Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for council of war

council of war

noun
  1. an assembly of military leaders in wartime

  2. an emergency meeting to formulate a plan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012