counselor

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

variants: or counsellor

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 Department of Education said that the Hunts Point School has a new principal, assistant principal and guidance counselors, and that Urban Science Academy is revamping its curriculum.

— elizabeth a. harris and ford fessenden, New York Times, "For $582 Million Spent on Troubled Schools, Some Gains, More Disappointments," 24 Aug. 2017
Paxton is a guidance counselor at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco.

— patrick svitek, star-telegram, "Angela Paxton, Texas attorney general's wife, eyes Texas Senate run," 23 Aug. 2017
Chazin went on the March in 1990 as a sophomore in high school — and has been a student participant, an adult madricha (youth counselor) and a bus captain.

— randall p. lieberman, Jewish Journal, "Second-generation marchers filling March of Living," 17 Aug. 2017
Particularly impressive are the team’s forceful coach, Gari McIntyre, and their tireless college counselor, Paula Dofat.

— walter addiego, kansascity, "‘Step’ documentary is an inspiring leap toward empowerment," 10 Aug. 2017
But counselors at the refugee camp told us many of these girls have developed psychological issues.

— christiane amanpour, vanityfair.com, "The Desperate Struggle for Home at the U.N.’s Largest Syrian Refugee Camp," 9 Aug. 2017
But Jian Jiamin, a legal counselor with China's PLA navy who served in Africa, reported the encounter to the media.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Fears of Frogmen: Why Navies Are Spooked by 'Ghost' Combat Divers," 3 Aug. 2017
Senior adviser Jared Kushner, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway all spent their time focused on unrelated issues.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "After Trumpcare’s Collapse, Republicans Face a Brutal Reality," 19 July 2017
Travis Avery, a trans man and a California resident, is a counselor at Brave Trails, a camp that caters to LGBTQ youth.

— anne mccarthy, Teen Vogue, "LGBTQ Protections Lack at State Level in the United States," 18 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

counselor Synonyms

Synonyms

adviser (also advisor), consigliere, counsel, consultant (or counsellor)

Related Words

authority, expert, pro, professional, specialist; confidant; cabinet, kitchen cabinet; sounding board

Near Antonyms

counselee

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

Learn More about counselor

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for counselor Spanish Central: Translation of counselor Nglish: Translation of counselor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of counselor for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up counselor? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

counselor

Definition of counselor

counselorship

From the M-W Editors

Examples of counselor in a Sentence

Recent Examples of counselor from the Web

Origin and Etymology of counselor

counselor Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Education Terms

Phrases Related to COUNSELOR

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

Learn More about counselor

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066