counselor

noun

coun·​sel·​or ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər How to pronounce counselor (audio)
variants or counsellor
Synonyms of counselornext
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 noun

Examples of counselor in a Sentence

He works as a camp counselor. a young couple going to a marriage counselor
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Certain positions would be protected from the cuts, Cassellius said, including classroom teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists and nurses. Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026 Mottaki’s daughter, Zahra Assadi Nazari, is married to Nasser Assadi Nazari, who is listed as a third counselor at Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026 Coulter says the county has created a housing counselor position designed to work one-on-one with unhoused residents. Terell Bailey, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026 The girl reportedly disclosed the allegations to a friend who then told a camp counselor, according to the DCJ. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for counselor

Word History

Etymology

see counsel entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of counselor was in the 13th century

Cite this Entry

“Counselor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counselor. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

counselor

noun
coun·​sel·​or
variants or counsellor
1
: a person who gives advice
guidance counselor
2
: lawyer
3
: a supervisor of campers or activities at a summer camp

Medical Definition

counselor

noun
coun·​sel·​or
variants or counsellor
: a person engaged in counseling

Legal Definition

counselor

noun
coun·​se·​lor
ˈkau̇n-sə-lər

More from Merriam-Webster on counselor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster