1
as in lawyer
a person whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients or to advise about legal rights and obligations
if you cannot afford counsel, one will be provided for you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in advice
an opinion suggesting a wise or proper course of action
I suggest you take the teacher's counsel
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in adviser
a person who gives advice especially professionally
the toy manufacturer hired a public relations counsel to do some damage control
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in consult
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
she approved the move after a counsel with her advisers
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to consult
to exchange viewpoints or seek advice for the purpose of finding a solution to a problem
concerned parents counseling about the problem of substance abuse in their community
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to guide
to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed
every year the admissions officer counsels thousands of students about the process of applying to college
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to advise
to give advice to
perhaps a psychologist would be better qualified to counsel you
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counsel
Carrie Teegardin, AJC.com, 4 June 2026
The motion to withdraw was filed after the judge presiding over the suit scheduled a mid-June hearing on a demand by opposing counsel to have Day Pitney disqualified for an ethics violation involving Robinson.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2026
ABC News, 10 May 2026
The president regularly spoke with Fox’s Sean Hannity, dialed Lou Dobbs into meetings, and counseled with Carlson, then the network’s primetime star, over whether to strike Iran.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counsel
Noun
Brent Walker, general counsel at the Medical Association of Georgia, however, argued the board was not changing a policy, but was providing guidance on a law that had been on the books for years.
—Carrie Teegardin, AJC.com, 4 June 2026
The motion to withdraw was filed after the judge presiding over the suit scheduled a mid-June hearing on a demand by opposing counsel to have Day Pitney disqualified for an ethics violation involving Robinson.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2026
Verb
Over 28 years as head of the ADL before retiring in 2015, Foxman counseled presidents and diplomats, CEOs and celebrities.
—ABC News, 10 May 2026
The president regularly spoke with Fox’s Sean Hannity, dialed Lou Dobbs into meetings, and counseled with Carlson, then the network’s primetime star, over whether to strike Iran.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counsel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counsel
Noun
-
Noelle Damico, director of social justice at the Workers Circle, said that, in conversations with families of detainees held at the detention center, the organization learned there was a gap in detainees’ ability to afford a lawyer.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
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Thomson Reuters is deploying it to help lawyers, tax accountants, and trade professionals work faster.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
People with asthma may benefit from a breathing treatment, depending on their symptoms and medical advice.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
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But the large language models behind most mainstream AI chatbots are trained on a wide variety of content — including huge swaths of the internet — meaning the advice can be iffy and occasionally dangerous.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Patti Black Financial advisor with Savant Wealth Management Either way, those premiums are likely to rise the way most types of insurance do, experts say.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
7 June 2026
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Cordeiro, meanwhile, has gone on to become a senior advisor to Infantino while Gulati is a senior advisor to the New York-New Jersey host committee, which is responsible for July’s World Cup final.—
Kevin Baxter
Follow
June 7,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Michael Gregory does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
-
Talcove consults with the government on tracking illicit funds.—
Laura Geller,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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After conferring, Robinson and the other justices returned the case to the lower court for further proceedings.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
3 June 2026
-
Rick Kranitz, then Atlanta’s pitching coach, made a fourth-inning mound visit to confer with his pitcher and catcher.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Wang Xiaogang, co-founder of the Chinese AI software company SenseTime and chairman of ACE Robotics, said his company is collecting a lot of human-centric data from factories, retailing and offices settings that could guide advanced robots to perform complicated functions.—
Chan Ho-Him,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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Once deployed, Pegasus will be monitored from Earth, with teams in Colorado guiding operations in real time.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The islands of Paulau, Yap, and Micronesia were advised to listen to the latest information from officials, the weather service said.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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The multilingual avatar can advise on what to do when your bank certificates of deposit are maturing, for example, or how to manage your children’s college fund.—
Meg Short,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
The latest exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran suggests that a deal may yet be some way off.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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The document suggests that Patriot Front is increasingly seeking to appeal to these groups and forge alliances with them.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counsel. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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