counselor

noun coun·sel·or \ ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər \

variants: or counsellor

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of counselor

1 : a person who gives advice or counseling

a marriage counselor

2 : lawyer; specifically : one that gives advice in law and manages cases for clients in court

The defendant conferred with his counselor.

3 : one who has supervisory duties at a summer camp

The counselor led the campers on a hike through the woods.

—

counselorship

play \ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər-ˌship\ noun

See counselor defined for English-language learners

See counselor defined for kids

Examples of counselor in a Sentence

He works as a camp counselor.
a young couple going to a marriage counselor

Recent Examples of counselor from the Web

The counselors are an authority figure, but not a parent.

— rebecca hazen, Houston Chronicle, "Kidventure offers outdoor summer fun for children," 11 Apr. 2018
Now, gifted education is back and thriving, and counselors, therapists, nurses and intervention specialists are in the schools to offer support however students need it.

— alyssa alfano, cleveland.com, "Medina County Drug Abuse Commission hears grant request for Recovery Center," 3 Apr. 2018
Alan Mullins, a school district psychologist, said grief counselors were available for the students who asked a lot of questions.

— Cincinnati.com, "Funeral services set for 9-year-old boy, mother shot in Northern Kentucky apartment," 25 Mar. 2018
According to the email, school is canceled Thursday, though crisis counselors will be available during the day.

— michael katz, idahostatesman, "Principal of North Idaho school found dead from apparent suicide | Idaho Statesman," 21 Mar. 2018
Grief counselors were at South Pointe Wednesday for all students and staff, said Mychal Frost, spokesman for the Rock Hill school district.

— andrew dys, and, charlotteobserver, "South Pointe junior, Bojangle’s worker, dreamed of college. A crash ended it all.," 8 Mar. 2018
Grief counselors and comfort dogs were on campus to help students slowly reacclimatize to their schedules, but there were also about 50 armed police officers on the scene to ensure the safety of the 3,000-person student body.

— julyssa lopez, Glamour, "As Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Reopens, One Student's Poem Goes Viral," 28 Feb. 2018
One teacher told us grief counselors will be in victims' classes to provide support for survivors.

— CBS News, "Hopeful and anxious, Parkland students brace for emotional return to school," 28 Feb. 2018
The superintendent said 150 counselors were on hand to listen and provide emotional support, along with 40 therapy dogs and other animals as requested by staff.

— USA TODAY, "Armed guards, counselors, bitter memories greet students' return to scene of Florida school shooting," 28 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counselor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of counselor

see ¹counsel

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

counselor Synonyms

Synonyms

advocate, attorney, attorney-at-law, counsel, counselor-at-law, lawyer;

Related Words

cocounsel;

district attorney, prosecuting attorney, prosecutor, solicitor;

criminal lawyer, public defender, trial lawyer;

solicitor;

jurist;

lawgiver, lawmaker, legislator, solon;

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

COUNSELOR Defined for English Language Learners

counselor

noun

Definition of counselor for English Language Learners

: a person who provides advice as a job : a person who counsels people
: a person who is in charge of young people at a summer camp

COUNSELOR Defined for Kids

counselor

noun coun·sel·or

variants: or counsellor \ˈkau̇n-sə-lər\

Definition of counselor for Students

1 : a person who gives advice

2 : a supervisor of campers or activities at a summer camp

3 : lawyer

Medical Dictionary

counselor

noun coun·sel·or

variants: or counsellor play \ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər\

medical Definition of counselor

: a person engaged in counseling

Law Dictionary

counselor

noun coun·se·lor \ ˈkau̇n-sə-lər \

legal Definition of counselor

: counsel

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counselor

Definition of counselor

counselorship

Examples of counselor in a Sentence

Recent Examples of counselor from the Web

Origin and Etymology of counselor

counselor Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Education Terms

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Related Phrases

COUNSELOR Defined for English Language Learners

counselor

Definition of counselor for English Language Learners

COUNSELOR Defined for Kids

counselor

Definition of counselor for Students

Medical Dictionary

counselor

medical Definition of counselor

Law Dictionary

counselor

legal Definition of counselor

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