counsel

American  

[kaun-suhl] / ˈkaʊn səl /

noun

• counsel,
  plural
• counsels
  plural

1. advice; opinion or instruction given in directing the judgment or conduct of another.

   Synonyms:

   suggestion, recommendation

2. interchange of opinions as to future procedure; consultation; deliberation.

3. Law. the advocate or advocates engaged in the direction of a cause in court; a legal adviser or counselor.

   Is counsel for the defense present?

   Synonyms:

   barrister, solicitor, attorney, lawyer

4. deliberate purpose; plan; design.

5. 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.

6. Archaic. a private or secret opinion or purpose.

7. Obsolete. wisdom; prudence.

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verb (used with object)

• counsels,
  present (3rd person singular)
• counseled,
  past participle,  past
• counselled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• counseling,
  present participle
• counselling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to give advice to; advise.

2. to urge the adoption of, as a course of action; recommend (a plan, policy, etc.).

   He counseled patience during the crisis.

verb (used without object)

• counsels,
  present (3rd person singular)
• counseled,
  past participle,  past
• counselled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• counseling,
  present participle
• counselling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to give counsel or advice.

2. to get or take counsel or advice.

idioms

1. keep one's own counsel, to conceal one's ideas or opinions; keep silent.

2. take counsel, to ask for or exchange advice, ideas, or opinions; deliberate; consult.

counsel British  

/ ˈkaʊnsəl /

noun

1. advice or guidance on conduct, behaviour, etc

2. discussion, esp on future procedure; consultation

   to take counsel with a friend

3. a person whose advice or guidance is or has been sought

4. a barrister or group of barristers engaged in conducting cases in court and advising on legal matters

   counsel for the prosecution

5. a policy or plan

6. Christianity any of the counsels of perfection or evangelical counsels , namely poverty, chastity, and obedience

7. excellent but unrealizable advice

8. private opinions or plans (esp in the phrase keep one's own counsel )

9. archaic wisdom; prudence

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verb

1. (tr) to give advice or guidance to

2. (tr; often takes a clause as object) to recommend the acceptance of (a plan, idea, etc); urge

3. archaic (intr) to take counsel; consult

counsel More Idioms  

1. see keep one's own counsel.

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Commonly Confused

See council.

See council

Synonym Usage

See advice.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• precounsel
  noun
• recounsel
  verb (used with object)
• counselable
  adjective
• counsellable
  adjective
• uncounseled
  adjective
• uncounselled
  adjective
• well-counseled
  adjective
• well-counselled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• counsel
  plural
• counsels
  plural

Participles

• counseling
  present
• counselling
  present
• counseled
  past
• counselled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• counsel
  simple
• counsels
  simple
• have counseled
  perfect
• have counselled
  perfect
• has counseled
  perfect
• has counselled
  perfect
• am counseling
  progressive
• am counselling
  progressive
• are counseling
  progressive
• are counselling
  progressive
• is counseling
  progressive
• is counselling
  progressive
• have been counseling
  perfect progressive
• have been counselling
  perfect progressive
• has been counseling
  perfect progressive
• has been counselling
  perfect progressive

Past

• counseled
  simple
• counselled
  simple
• had counseled
  perfect
• had counselled
  perfect
• was counseling
  progressive
• was counselling
  progressive
• were counseling
  progressive
• were counselling
  progressive
• had been counseling
  perfect progressive
• had been counselling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will counsel
  simple
• will have counseled
  perfect
• will have counselled
  perfect
• will be counseling
  progressive
• will be counselling
  progressive
• will have been counseling
  perfect progressive
• will have been counselling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of counsel

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun counseil, from Anglo-French cunseil, Old French conseil, concile from Latin consilium “debate, advice, advisory body, plan,” equivalent to consil-, variant stem of consulere “to apply for advice” + -ium noun suffix; verb from Anglo-French cunseiler, Old French conseillier, from Late Latin consiliāre, derivative of consilium; see consult, -ium

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Explanation

When you give counsel or counsel someone, you give advice. If your neighbor is suing you because your dog keeps eating his begonias, you might seek the counsel of a dog trainer or, if that doesn't work, a lawyer. You can get professional counsel — from a minister or psychiatrist or someone else trained in counseling — or you can get counsel from anyone you trust. You can ask your stylish friend to counsel you on your hairstyle, or you could write to Dear Abby for counsel on your lovelife. Counsel is also what you call a lawyer who represents you in court. In your begonia-eating dog case, your lawyer would be counsel for the defense.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

counsel counsels counseled counselled counseling counselling

Earlier in the year Arizona retained outside counsel and set aside money for a potential lawsuit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

A “whistleblower” is seeking the counsel of Michael and Olivia to sue a tech company called Colt AI, demanding they reinstate safety guardrails and an ethics committee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Campaign for Accountability said Zacharia had described herself as a lawyer during television appearances and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Ware was asked by the counsel for the inquiry who he thinks was responsible for the Omagh bombing.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

‘I wish to help you. You need counsel in your hard choice. Will you not take mine?’

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

But 9/11 barely registers with Muslims he counsels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

She counsels patients to focus on a well-rounded diet versus individual ingredients that may be in American food versus European food.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

He counsels letter writers on how to handle a cheating brother, discuss religion with a devout friend, and avoid spiraling over the fear of being single forever.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

At the same time, the new “Little House on the Prairie” counsels that independence is more of a tall tale than a reality for a nation healing from the wounds of conflict.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

Shall we make our counsels together against evil days, and repair our injuries with such good will that our estates shall both come to fairer flower than ever before?’

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

He said he counseled her, “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Before world lightweight boxing champion Vasiliy Lomachenko returned from shoulder surgery to defend his title in 2019, ElAttrache counseled him against using his left hook because he wasn’t mentally ready to do so.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

While we have counseled that speculating on earnings reports is gambling, it remains one of the most prevalent pastimes in the stock and options market.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

Don’t wait until you are old to get started, Magnusson counseled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

“As ye sow, so shall ye reap,” he counseled one and all, and everyone said, “Amen.”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

She had hoped set guidance would ensure all health care professionals counselled patients fully, prior to surgery, and provided them with appropriate, ongoing care and support.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2024

With the rattled country shut down for Tisha B'av, the fast day mourning the destruction of two ancient Jewish temples in Jerusalem blamed by the sages on needless infighting, Israelis leaders counselled soul-searching.

From Reuters ● Jul. 27, 2023

In every family he’d ever counselled, his clients had accepted their own deaths.

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2022

They meet once a month after nominations close on 31 January each year, counselled by a group of permanent advisers and other experts.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 8, 2021

But Squealer counselled them to avoid rash actions and trust in Comrade Napoleon’s strategy.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell

Starting at age 15, they learn the family and company history, receive training in personal finance and get counseling on their education and careers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Local governments and universities have launched programs including career counseling, vocational training and AI-related courses aimed at preparing students for a changing labor market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Ferguson, the focus is on a Washington state law that protects access to safe state-licensed youth shelters and subsidized mental healthcare counseling.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

This debt balance is lower than older generations seeking out credit counseling at the firm, but it’s rising 12% annually.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The horror stories were already pouring in, Jesse reported: kids sent home for wearing trench coats or black clothing, ordered into counseling for playing games like Quake and Doom.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

She has been supported by multiple organisations, received counselling, got herself a new car and a home and is ready to start a family.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Nepal's prime minister, Balendra Shah, said there was a renewed emphasis on protecting the lives of survivors, providing medical treatment and psychological counselling.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Those plans include counselling rooms in every school, psychiatric services in at least one hospital in every county and more mental health professionals.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

She said the diagnosis had "floored" her and she had relied on counselling services to keep her going.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Hastily counselling with his lawyers, it was discovered that his oath was unlawful and therefore not to be observed.

From A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume II by Henry Charles Lea

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