Synonyms

counsel

American

[koun-suhl] / ˈkaʊn səl /

noun

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

Synonyms:

suggestion, recommendation
interchange of opinions as to future procedure; consultation; deliberation.
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
deliberate purpose; plan; design.
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.

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object)

to give counsel or advice.
to get or take counsel or advice.

idioms

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.

counsel British

/ ˈkaʊnsəl /

noun

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
excellent but unrealizable advice
private opinions or plans (esp in the phrase keep one's own counsel )
archaic wisdom; prudence

"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

verb

(tr) to give advice or guidance to
(tr; often takes a clause as object) to recommend the acceptance of (a plan, idea, etc); urge
archaic (intr) to take counsel; consult

"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

counsel More Idioms

see keep one's own counsel.

Commonly Confused

See council.

See council

Synonym Usage

See advice.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing counsel

The Bill of Rights

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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And that rejection was for good reason, Betsy Fisher, advocacy counsel for national nonprofit United Stateless, told Salon.

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026

Carroll's counsel had not previously commented on the president's decision to bring a challenge to the Supreme Court.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

"It has become increasingly apparent that the online environment and social media platforms in particular are perhaps the most significant factor for the spread of antisemitism," said assisting counsel Richard Lancaster.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

“We should be using what is essentially a mass surveillance technology only for the worst possible crimes,” said Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

One afternoon, I visited the office of a friendly, thoughtful man named Art Sussman, who was the in-house legal counsel for the University of Chicago.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023