n.
- An assembly of persons called together for consultation, deliberation, or discussion.
- A body of people elected or appointed to serve as administrators, legislators, or advisors.
- An assembly of church officials and theologians convened for regulating matters of doctrine and discipline.
- The discussion or deliberation that takes place in such an assembly or body.
[Middle English counceil, from Old French concile, from Latin concilium.]
USAGE NOTE Council, counsel, and consul are never interchangeable, though their meanings are related. Council and councilor refer principally to a deliberative assembly (such as a city council or student council), its work, and its membership. Counsel and counselor pertain chiefly to advice and guidance in general and to a person (such as a lawyer or camp counselor) who provides it. Consul denotes an officer in the foreign service of a country.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
