counselor
Americannoun
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a faculty member who advises students on personal and academic problems, career choices, and the like.
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an assistant at a children's camp, often a high school or college student, who supervises a group of children or directs a particular activity, as nature study or a sport.
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a lawyer, especially a trial lawyer; counselor-at-law.
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an official of an embassy or legation who ranks below an ambassador or minister.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of counselor
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English counseiler, counseillour, from Anglo-French cunseiler, cunseiliour, Old French conseilleor, conseillier; see origin at counsel, -eur, -er 2, -or 2
Explanation
A counselor is the person you can consult in your time of need. Your school guidance counselor may suggest you take Spanish class next school year. Bueno? How you define counselor depends on where you are at the time. In court, a counselor is the lawyer who gives clients advice on legal issues and pleads their case in court. During a therapy session, a counselor helps people understand and resolve personal issues. And at summer camp, a counselor is the person who supervises the children's activities and makes sure they stay safe.
Vocabulary lists containing counselor
Tears of a Tiger
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Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Home of the Brave
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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.
Community college counselor Diego Rodriguez, 32, said he decided to vote for Becerra in recent weeks after seeing the former U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
And so hello, seventh-grade guidance counselor: I am waving at you from the steps of Harvard University, where they have announced me a doctor of laws.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
One of the most common rites of passage for young Americans is spending the long summer hours working as a camp counselor, lifeguarding at the local pool, stocking shelves or serving up dinners to regulars.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
From my treadmill desk, I attend “Overwhelmed and Burnt Out,” also known as “Burnout Circle,” a 45-minute Zoom meeting led by a Good Inside counselor.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
I felt like I was his counselor all of a sudden.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
