Word
counsel
Phoneticscoun·sel, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkaʊnsəɫ/
UK/kˈaʊnsəl/
US spelling · counseled
Definitions
01advice or guidance
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. advice or guidance given to someone, especially by a person with authority or wisdom.
n. advice or guidance, particularly that which is given formally or after careful deliberation.
“I am grateful for my grandfather's wise counsel during that difficult time.”
“The young king relied heavily on the counsel of his senior ministers to navigate the complex diplomatic crisis.”
Pitfall
He gave me some good counsels.
He gave me some good counsel.
In the sense of advice, 'counsel' is often uncountable and does not take a plural 's'.
02a lawyer
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Formal
n. a lawyer or a group of lawyers who represent someone in a court of law.
n. a legal advocate or barrister conducting a case in court; often used as a collective noun for a legal team.
Español:abogado
“The defendant sat quietly while his counsel addressed the judge.”
“The prosecution's counsel argued that the evidence clearly demonstrated a premeditated attempt to defraud the investors.”
03to give advice
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to give professional advice to someone, especially about personal or legal problems.
v. to provide professional guidance or advice to an individual; frequently used in psychological or legal contexts.
“The school has a specialist who can counsel students about their future careers.”
“Trained professionals were brought in to counsel the survivors of the disaster and help them process the trauma.”
Usage
This verb is transitive and requires a direct object representing the person being advised.
04to recommend an action
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to suggest or recommend that someone should do a specific thing.
v. to recommend or advocate for a specific course of action.
“Most experts counsel patience when investing in the stock market.”
“The board of directors counselled caution, suggesting that the company should wait for more stable market conditions before expanding.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Hanson later said she had counselled him on the comments , while Joyce described them as a slip-up during the “pressure of a campaign”.” “But flesh-and-blood Will Forte plays Wile E’s hapless underdog lawyer and John Cena is Acme’s sinister, smoothie counsel.” Etymology
From Middle English counseil, conseil, from Old French conseil, from Latin cōnsilium; akin to cōnsulō (“take counsel, consult”).
From Middle English counseilen, from Old French conseiller, from Latin cōnsilior, from cōnsilium.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/counsel
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0