counsel
advice; opinion or instruction given in directing the judgment or conduct of another.
interchange of opinions as to future procedure; consultation; deliberation.
Law.(used with a singular or plural verb) the advocate or advocates engaged in the direction of a cause in court; a legal adviser or counselor: Is counsel for the defense present?
Theology. one of the advisory declarations of Christ, considered by some Christians as not universally binding but as given for aid in attaining moral perfection.
Archaic. a private or secret opinion or purpose.
Obsolete. wisdom; prudence.
to give advice to; advise.
to urge the adoption of, as a course of action; recommend (a plan, policy, etc.): He counseled patience during the crisis.
to give counsel or advice.
to get or take counsel or advice.
Idioms about counsel
keep one's own counsel, to conceal one's ideas or opinions; keep silent.
take counsel, to ask for or exchange advice, ideas, or opinions; deliberate; consult.
Origin of counsel
1synonym study For counsel
confusables note For counsel
Other words for counsel
Other words from counsel
- coun·sel·a·ble; especially British, coun·sel·la·ble, adjective
- pre·coun·sel, noun, verb, pre·coun·seled, pre·coun·sel·ing or (especially British) pre·coun·selled, pre·coun·sel·ling.
- re·coun·sel, verb (used with object), re·coun·seled, re·coun·sel·ing or (especially British) re·coun·selled, re·coun·sel·ling.
- un·coun·seled, adjective
- un·coun·selled, adjective
- well-counseled, adjective
- well-counselled, adjective
Words that may be confused with counsel
Words Nearby counsel
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use counsel in a sentence
The legislative counsel wrote that “legislating remotely arguably violates the constitutional guarantee of open and public meetings,” and that it could also violate Prop.
Sacramento Report: Jones, COVID-19 and the Irony of Remote Voting | Sara Libby and Jesse Marx | August 28, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoGoogle named a new top lawyer on Tuesday, appointing a 14-year veteran of the company, Halimah DeLaine Prado, as its new general counsel.
From the first day Shmuel Sunray joined NSO as its general counsel, he faced one international incident after another.
Inside NSO, Israel’s billion-dollar spyware giant | Tate Ryan-Mosley | August 19, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewOn par with speeding tickets, infractions don’t entitle defendants to legal counsel or a trial by jury.
SDPD Says it Will Stop Enforcing Seditious Language Law | Kate Nucci | August 17, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoVoters will also decide whether the city should create a new police oversight commission with independent legal counsel and subpoena power.
Morning Report: Tensions, Then a Pricey Resignation at National School District | Voice of San Diego | July 20, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
Currently, Israel is holding around 470 Palestinians without charge or access to legal counsel.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist | Creede Newton | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIsrael commonly holds people suspected of threatening national security for long periods without access to legal counsel.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist | Creede Newton | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBrown sought his counsel as he prepared to start college and make a life of his own.
90 Seconds of Fury in Ferguson Are the Key to Making Peace in America | Michael Daly | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe goes to church with her husband, but when the pastor asks to counsel her in private, she shuts him down.
The Good Wife’s Religion Politics: Voters Have No Faith in Alicia's Atheism | Regina Lizik | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt LLGS, you certainly felt proud to be able it to offer help or counsel.
Sex, Suicide, and Homework: The Secret World of the Telephone Hotline | Tim Teeman | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTGold and silver make the feet stand sure: but wise counsel is above them both.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousConsult not with him that layeth a snare for thee, and hide thy counsel from them that envy thee.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousEvery counsellor giveth out counsel, but there is one that is a counsellor for himself.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousBahadur Shah held out against the vehement urging of his daughter aided now by the counsel of her brothers.
The Red Year | Louis TracyTake counsel together, and it shall be defeated: speak a word, and it shall not be done: because God is with us.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
British Dictionary definitions for counsel
/ (ˈkaʊnsəl) /
advice or guidance on conduct, behaviour, etc
discussion, esp on future procedure; consultation: to take counsel with a friend
a person whose advice or guidance is or has been sought
a barrister or group of barristers engaged in conducting cases in court and advising on legal matters: counsel for the prosecution
a policy or plan
Christianity any of the counsels of perfection or evangelical counsels, namely poverty, chastity, and obedience
counsel of perfection excellent but unrealizable advice
private opinions or plans (esp in the phrase keep one's own counsel)
archaic wisdom; prudence
(tr) to give advice or guidance to
(tr; often takes a clause as object) to recommend the acceptance of (a plan, idea, etc); urge
(intr) archaic to take counsel; consult
Origin of counsel
1confusable For counsel
Derived forms of counsel
- counsellable or US counselable, adjective
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with counsel
see keep one's own counsel.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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