council

1 of 2

noun

coun·​cil ˈkau̇n(t)-səl 

plural councils

1

: an assembly or meeting for consultation, advice, or discussion

the Second Vatican Council

2

: a group elected or appointed as an advisory or legislative body

a governor's council

a city council

3

a

: a usually administrative body

a council on housing

b

: an executive body whose members are equal in power and authority

c

: a governing body of delegates from local units of a federation

4

: deliberation in a council

5

a

: a federation of or a central body uniting a group of organizations

the National Council of Teachers of English

b

: a local chapter of an organization

c

: club, society

council

2 of 2

adjective

1

: used for councils especially by or with North American Indigenous people

a council ground

2

British : built, maintained, or operated by a local governing agency

council housing

council flats

Synonyms of council

Noun

• meeting
• gathering

Examples of council in a Sentence

Noun

The city council is considering a ban on smoking in restaurants.

the governor's council on physical fitness

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Following some questions from the council, the city’s aldermen ultimately voted in support of the measures allowing the project to move forward. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026

Citizen Science Behind the Find The discovery at Haydon Batch was part of a larger effort by the Somer Valley Rediscovered partnership, which includes local town and parish councils and focuses on biodiversity conservation and community engagement with regional landscapes. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026

Adjective

During his post-council news conference, Johnson again praised Lawson’s interim leadership of the committee but stopped short of publicly calling for aldermen to support him. —Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026

In the pre-council meeting, council members spoke with a representative from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English counceil, from Anglo-French cunseil, cuncile, from Latin concilium, from com- + calare to call — more at low entry 3

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing council

• city council
• council of ministers
• executive council
• legislative council
• privy council
• student council

Rhymes for council

• counsel

Kids Definition

council

noun

coun·​cil

ˈkau̇n(t)-səl

1

: a meeting for consultation

2

: an advisory or legislative body

the governor's council

3

: an administrative body

city council

Legal Definition

council

noun

coun·​cil ˈkau̇n-səl 

: a governmental body: as

a

: a group elected as a legislative body

city council

b

: an administrative body

council on aging

c

: an executive body whose members are equal in power and authority compare committee sense 2b