council of war

American  

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.

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council of war British  

noun

1. an assembly of military leaders in wartime

2. an emergency meeting to formulate a plan

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Etymology

Origin of council of war

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

For more than six months, Washington had pleaded with his council of war to approve an amphibious assault on the British garrison.

From Washington Post • Jun. 29, 2018

In a neo-Tuscan villa in an office park near the Charleston, W. Va., airport, seven West Virginia plaintiffs’ lawyers gathered on Jan. 13 for a council of war.

From BusinessWeek • Jan. 14, 2014

All week long George Bush and his council of war pondered the bizarre convulsions of the mind of Saddam Hussein and confessed bafflement.

From Time Magazine Archive

There had been a council of war at Rideau Hall over Commonwealth defenses.

From Time Magazine Archive

Stannis reined up long enough to bark a brusque dismissal to Lord Florent and the others, commanding them to attend him in his pavilion one hour hence for a council of war.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin