privy council

noun

1. a board or select body of personal advisers, as of a sovereign.

2. (initial capital letters),  (in Great Britain) a body of persons who advise the sovereign in matters of state, the majority of members being selected by the prime minister.

3. (sometimes initial capital letters),  any similar body, as one appointed to assist the governor of a British dominion.

privy council

¹

noun

1. the council of state of a monarch or noble, esp formerly

2. (in Canada) a ceremonial body of advisers of the governor general, the chief of them being the Federal cabinet ministers

3. archaic,  a private or secret council

Privy Council

²

noun

1. the private council of the British sovereign, consisting of all current and former ministers of the Crown and other distinguished subjects, all of whom are appointed for life See also Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Other Word Forms

• privy councilor noun
• Privy Counsellor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of privy council¹

1250–1300; Middle English prive counseil privy counsel

Example Sentences

Technically the privy council is not covered by the lese majeste law, which states that it is an offence to defame only the king, queen, heir to the throne or anyone acting as regent.

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In that article he had accused the king’s top advisory body, the privy council, of helping engineer the 2014 military coup which deposed an administration led by his sister Yingluck.

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The privy council announced on Friday that King Charles III had granted permission for the burial.

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"I thought I'm going to buy a modern dress" and then embroider it with the fern motif of the privy council "as a nod to the past".

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In January, Franklin was summoned to appear before the privy council, the king’s most senior advisers.

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