councils

noun

plural of council
1
as in meetings
a coming together of a number of persons for a specified purpose a war council attended by the top commanders of each of the armed services

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2
as in organizations
a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest the neighborhood council decided to campaign for a new park

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3
as in seminars
a meeting featuring a group discussion summoned to a council to discuss ways that the state could improve medical care for the elderly

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4
as in affiliates
a local unit of an organization the scout's own council chose to ignore the national organization's discriminatory policies

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5
as in discussions
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue an unscheduled council in the judge's chambers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of councils Investec noted, a measure of the fiscal hole new councils will inherit. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026 Without the same residential requirement, many villages have switched from elected to employee clerks and treasurers, and shrinking councils to the legal minimum of five members. — CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Where appropriate, families can establish investment committees, advisory boards or family councils before the next generation assumes greater responsibility. — Elie Nour, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Topgolf employees previously participated in numerous VMware customer councils and have been interviewed for books on how Topgolf used vSphere and Horizon (now Omnissa Horizon), per Forehand, who is a leader of the Dallas/Ft. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026 DraftKings had provided more than $2 million to state problem-gambling councils and NCPG affiliates since 2022, according to a March 2025 company announcement. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 Empowering local school councils with the resources, training and meaningful voice needed to shape decisions and hold Chicago Public Schools accountable. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 There were thousands of empty houses in London and the councils actually employed gangs to come in and smash up these lovely Victorian houses, remove floorboards, rip out wiring [and] destroy the plumbing so squatters couldn’t live in them. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2026 There were places in the UK that banned it, councils that refused to allow it to be played. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for councils
  1. meetings
  2. organizations
  3. seminars
  4. affiliates
  5. discussions
  6. gatherings
  7. institutions
  8. conferences
Noun
  • The city will soon be holding advisory meetings to develop the list of events and festivals that will occur in the next 12 months.
    — John Ramos, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Josh Derry had eight catches for 143 yards and a TD for the Knights, who won for the first time in three meetings against KU.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of meetings
Noun
  • The disputes later spilled into the courts, with players challenging suspensions and the rival organizations pursuing competing legal claims.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Republicans sought to portray Osborn as a Democrat in disguise, pointing to his support from Democratic donors and organizations.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of organizations
Noun
  • North Bergen officials have been holding seminars and passing out fliers to let residents know about their rights if they're stopped by ICE, including the right to remain silent.
    — Christine Sloan, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Members sign up to a set of guidelines around victim protection, attend events and host seminars.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of seminars
Noun
  • Such opinions are based upon information the analysts consider reliable, but neither CNBC nor its affiliates and/or subsidiaries warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.
    — , CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • For the affiliates sending traffic to merchants, our scale was a gift.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of affiliates
Noun
  • National governments will already be looking at their aviation authority regulations and frameworks and there will be discussions at the European and global level, John Edwards, senior consultant at Gates Aviation in London, said by phone.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In discussions with the president this week, representatives from most of Israel’s main parties recommended Eisenkot be tasked with assembling a new government.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of discussions
Noun
  • The company also offers turkey breasts for smaller gatherings.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Food and drink The in-house restaurant, Brasserie, works for relaxed solo dining or large celebratory family gatherings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of gatherings
Noun
  • The federal government must provide predictable visa processes, and research institutions must sustain international collaboration.
    — Carole LaBonne, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The growing cultural presence of the Indian-American community is also being reflected in the Bay Area's civic institutions.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of institutions
Noun
  • This latest committee emphasized schedule strength, which didn’t sit well with proponents of conferences outside the SEC.
    — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • For months, Riyadh maintained a veneer of business as usual despite the war, but this has become harder to sustain with the city postponing events, from tennis tournaments to conferences, and now doing a U-turn on schools.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of conferences

Browse Nearby Words

council
councils
counsel
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Cite this Entry

“Councils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/councils. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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