counselor

American  

[koun-suh-ler] / ˈkaʊn sə lər /

especially British, counsellor

noun

• counselors
  plural

1. a person who counsels; adviser.

2. a faculty member who advises students on personal and academic problems, career choices, and the like.

3. 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.

4. a lawyer, especially a trial lawyer; counselor-at-law.

   Synonyms:

   advocate, counsel, barrister, solicitor, attorney

5. an official of an embassy or legation who ranks below an ambassador or minister.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counselorship
  noun
• precounsellor
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• counselors
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

counselor counselors

I also saw this same dynamic when working on a hospital psych unit as a counselor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

He obtained a college degree, is employed as a drug counselor, and still finds time to give back to the people through his illustrations.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

There are a couple of reasons that might be, says Brandon Smith, a counselor known as The Workplace Therapist.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

“The online advertisements are very tempting,” said Rudri Patel, a certified financial-health counselor at MoneyLion.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

In front of us, camp counselor Jamie, a blond girl, stands, turns.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Normally, when a death occurs inside a cellblock, facility executives dispatch clergy, rehabilitation coordinators, and mental health counselors to conduct psychological welfare checks.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

At Camp Lokanda in New York’s Catskill Mountains, professional canasta instructor Lisa Youngelson, also the camp’s activities director, taught the card game to the female counselors in training, a group of rising high-school seniors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

The moves will likely increase applications, potentially making admissions more cutthroat, college counselors say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Ebrahimian has pleaded with ICE to let Wilber go and submitted seven letters from teachers and counselors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

“Have you ever talked to anyone? Do your parents or Kate—or maybe one of the counselors ... “Parents, no.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

Related Words

• advocate
• instructor
• mentor
• teacher