1
as in lawyers
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
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2
as in advisers
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
1
as in consults
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 guides
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 advises
to give advice to
perhaps a psychologist would be better qualified to counsel you
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in suggests
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counsels
Aj Dhaliwal, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
After taking office, Lee appointed three independent counsels to look into allegations involving Yoon, his wife and associates.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Sitting alongside our lawyers in our counsels, defending the state of Texas and having to put my name out there in defense of the state.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Tess wants to keep certain parts of the past secret from him—that way, Marjorie won’t relearn them—but Jon counsels candor.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
At its core, the dispute will help determine how much authority special counsels have, how transparent the Justice Department must be in politically sensitive investigations, and whether a sitting president can use the courts to keep findings about his own conduct from public view.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Ray Dalio counsels holding amid bubble.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025
Hints, counsels, warnings, remonstrations, even encouragements are, in the end, of limited value.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
Moody has been dedicating her practice to helping clients navigate the AI space and counsels nearly a dozen generative voice and audio AI companies.
—Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Shaziah Singh counsels public and private strategic buyers on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and debt transactions, and corporate matters.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Nicolas Thompson-Lleras, a Los Angeles attorney who counsels immigrants facing deportation, said two of his clients were registered under aliases at different hospitals in Los Angeles County last year.
—Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Another letter by the Colorado County Clerks Association counsels the same.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
Licensed therapist Allison Guilbault, who counsels Gen Z clients in New York City, said splitting tabs, sharing Ubers and buying their own drinks has also become the standard.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Kelsey’s group has facilitated 234 face-to-face surrenders through its hotline, which counsels women who might want to surrender their babies, but just about 62 babies have been left in boxes since Kelsey started the organization, according to Kelly, the nurse and company representative.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
For fintech executives and general counsels, these developments signal a pivotal shift.
—Aj Dhaliwal, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
After taking office, Lee appointed three independent counsels to look into allegations involving Yoon, his wife and associates.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Sitting alongside our lawyers in our counsels, defending the state of Texas and having to put my name out there in defense of the state.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Tess wants to keep certain parts of the past secret from him—that way, Marjorie won’t relearn them—but Jon counsels candor.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
At its core, the dispute will help determine how much authority special counsels have, how transparent the Justice Department must be in politically sensitive investigations, and whether a sitting president can use the courts to keep findings about his own conduct from public view.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Ray Dalio counsels holding amid bubble.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025
Hints, counsels, warnings, remonstrations, even encouragements are, in the end, of limited value.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
Moody has been dedicating her practice to helping clients navigate the AI space and counsels nearly a dozen generative voice and audio AI companies.
—Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
Oliver counsels Evan that Bree is very frightened and craves stability.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Shaziah Singh counsels public and private strategic buyers on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and debt transactions, and corporate matters.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Nicolas Thompson-Lleras, a Los Angeles attorney who counsels immigrants facing deportation, said two of his clients were registered under aliases at different hospitals in Los Angeles County last year.
—Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Another letter by the Colorado County Clerks Association counsels the same.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
Licensed therapist Allison Guilbault, who counsels Gen Z clients in New York City, said splitting tabs, sharing Ubers and buying their own drinks has also become the standard.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Kelsey’s group has facilitated 234 face-to-face surrenders through its hotline, which counsels women who might want to surrender their babies, but just about 62 babies have been left in boxes since Kelsey started the organization, according to Kelly, the nurse and company representative.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counsels
Noun
-
He was promoted as the employment litigation section's acting deputy chief by December, a timeframe that former division lawyers say is unheard of — especially for someone without a background in civil rights litigation.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The first-degree murder trial of brother Billoeum, Billy, and Channa Phan will continue to a status conference in June while their defense lawyers and prosecutors sort out any potential prosecutorial issues caused by Sgt.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Asian private equity firm has held early discussions with prospective advisers to evaluate a possible sale of the business, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.—
Pei Li,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
While the firm maintains its discretion and doesn’t disclose specific results, Blackman and her advisors don’t seem preoccupied with simply securing an Ivy League spot.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bumgarner confirmed there is no current partnership between the humane society and United Way, but that United Way frequently consults with organizations in distress.—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Before every visit, my mom always consults me for packing tips on what to wear.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Their professional training guides them towards a certain structural approach that enabled them to organize the apartment in an airy, streamlined way.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
-
This guides lawn grub activity off-site and away from the lawn.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
How to Pot and Repot Peach Trees Peach trees are fast growers, so Dickey advises choosing a dwarf variety bred for container growing.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Andersen advises ignoring any one particular economic indicator in favor of looking at longer term trends.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Evidence suggests noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
However, a new theoretical study suggests that the road to this promise is much longer than many researchers had hoped.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Emails reviewed by The Dallas Morning News show that city staff and consultants discussed how to arrange tours of prospective sites as part of an evaluation of whether Dallas should invest in significant repairs of City Hall or move and redevelop its prime location.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The union also criticized the district for spending more than $12 million on outside consultants last year and failing to account for a previously unpaid $1 million utility bill.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By law, a refugee has to wait a year before applying for a green card that confers permanent residency.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In an exchange with Jordan, Bondi agreed that while the Constitution confers a right to protest, protesters do not have the right to disrupt religious services.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counsels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counsels. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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