counseling 1 of 3

noun

variants or counselling
Definition of counselingnext
as in reassurance

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counseling

2 of 3

adjective

variants or counselling
as in consulting

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counseling

3 of 3

verb

variants or counselling
present participle of counsel
1
as in conferring
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

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2
as in guiding
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

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3
as in advising
to give advice to perhaps a psychologist would be better qualified to counsel you

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4
as in suggesting
to put (something) forward as one's choice for a wise or proper course of action I would counsel caution and deliberation in this sensitive matter

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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 counseling
Noun
The funding would reimburse services provided to Oakland County residents, including cancer screenings, annual wellness exams, STI testing and treatment, contraception, and reproductive health counseling. — Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Thompson set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for funeral costs and family counseling. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
The International Problem Gambling and Gaming Certification Organization, which establishes the best practices for counseling gambling addicts and issues certifications to professional therapists, lists just 17 people in Colorado who have received certification. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 18 June 2026 While Kenneth Law is set to admit to 14 charges of aiding or counseling suicide, Canadian prosecutors are withdrawing second degree murder charges, multiple sources have confirmed, causing anger among devastated families. — CBS News, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for counseling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counseling
  1. reassurance
  2. consulting
  3. guiding
  4. advising
  5. suggesting
  6. consolation
  7. advisory
  8. coaching
Noun
  • That strategy—adding explicit advice to the reassurance—may be the fix that allows doctors both to reassure and persuade patients to stick with a treatment protocol.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Two label departures in three days, both accompanied by explicit reassurances that TWICE group activities will continue unchanged, suggest the transition is proceeding as planned rather than as a rupture.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of reassurance
Adjective
  • McKinsey could also slash as many as 2,000 non-consulting staff in one of its biggest round of layoffs ever, Bloomberg reported last month, citing unnamed sources close to the matter.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN, 23 Mar. 2023
  • The report also found McKinsey officials used their contract with the government to drum up even more consulting work with private companies.
    — Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2022
Definition of consulting
Verb
  • Surrogacy agreements are most often private, and there are few federal standards guiding the practice, Ziegler said.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Since vintage base ball league teams agree to abide by the same rules used in 1858, only 37 rules are applied to the sport, as compared to today’s numerous regulations guiding the players of today’s baseball games.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of guiding
Verb
  • The councilmember then called out Bass for working with a communications consultant who was simultaneously advising her and Lineage, the company whose warehouse burned in Boyle Heights in June.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Crossing guards are advising students on e-bikes who were unaware of the new rule to check in at the office.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of advising
Verb
  • Those compounds increased while the astronauts were in space, suggesting food was spending more time moving through their intestines, according to the statement.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For accessories, those benefits did not explain performance, suggesting that gains arose mainly through cross-selling with destination products.
    — Ayşe Çetinel, Harvard Business Review, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of suggesting
Noun
  • Only one thing gave Ruiz the kind of consolation that was truly the obverse of his physical pains, and that was the sacred figure of the Virgin Mary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Now, the winner of each bracket final Saturday (Purple and Orange) will advance to the championship Sunday, while the losing teams will play in a consolation game.
    — Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of consolation
Adjective
  • Just this week, the agency published an advisory warning that over 50 home entries have already been reported in 2026, more than in all of last year.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Last month’s vote by a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel to ease peptide accessibility restrictions has sparked debate over the safety of this unproven class of therapeutics.
    — Lyndon Haviland, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of advisory
Verb
  • Jones also is among 21 to win state titles in their first head-coaching job at any school.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Tennessee hired Saleh in January for his second head coaching job following his tenure as the New York Jets skipper from 2021 to 2024.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of coaching

Browse Nearby Words

counselee
counseling
counselor
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Cite this Entry

“Counseling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counseling. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on counseling

Nglish: Translation of counseling for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about counseling

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