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council

noun
coun·​cil | \ ˈkau̇n(t)-sÉ™l How to pronounce council (audio) \

Definition of council

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an assembly or meeting for consultation, advice, or discussion the Second Vatican Council
2 : a group elected or appointed as an advisory or legislative body a governor's council a city council
3a : a usually administrative body a council on housing
b : an executive body whose members are equal in power and authority
c : a governing body of delegates from local units of a federation
4 : deliberation in a council
5a : a federation of or a central body uniting a group of organizations the National Council of Teachers of English
b : a local chapter of an organization
c : club, society

council

adjective

Definition of council (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : used for councils especially by or with North American Indians a council ground
2 British : built, maintained, or operated by a local governing agency council housing council flats
Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about council

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Examples of council in a Sentence

Noun

 The city council is considering a ban on smoking in restaurants. the governor's council on physical fitness

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Discussions will continue in October in order to allow time for council members to do further research. — Beth Mlady, cleveland.com, "Brook Park considers creating city technology commission," 29 Aug. 2019 Four of the five current council members are Vietnamese Americans, in a city of 98,000 that is of more than 50% Vietnamese ancestry. — Los Angeles Times, "Could verbal brawls and rants ruin Westminster’s Vietnamese American council majority?," 28 Aug. 2019 The council members voted 4-1 to more than double the number of cultivation business licenses issued by the city, from five to 12. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Oceanside to place cannabis tax on ballot," 27 Aug. 2019 Witt and the council members also sought guidance from City Manager Joseph Helfenberger. — Ars Technica, "The Extortion Economy: Insurance companies and the rise in ransomware attacks," 27 Aug. 2019 For the last eight months, however, Twitter has largely checked out, according to some council members. — Louise Matsakis, WIRED, "Twitter Trust and Safety Advisers Say They’re Being Ignored," 23 Aug. 2019 Each council member is given $1 million in discretionary funds for roads in their districts. — Sarah Ravani, SFChronicle.com, "Oakland kicks off ‘Great Pave’ with fresh asphalt for Fruitvale side street," 22 Aug. 2019 The majority of council members voted to shut down any further discussion of just cause for evictions or rent stabilization. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Do lobby groups hold more sway in Concord than residents?," 21 Aug. 2019 The coalition aimed to win over all 15 council members, especially in conservative areas. — Sheila Mcclear, The New Republic, "The Future For Labor," 20 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'council.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of council

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for council

Noun and Adjective

Middle English counceil, from Anglo-French cunseil, cuncile, from Latin concilium, from com- + calare to call — more at low

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More Definitions for council

council

noun
How to pronounce council (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of council

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a group of people who are chosen to make rules, laws, or decisions about something
: a group of people who provide advice or guidance on something

council

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of council (Entry 2 of 2)

: of or relating to a council
British : provided by a local government council for people to live in for low rent

See the full definition for council in the English Language Learners Dictionary

council

noun
coun·​cil | \ ˈkau̇n-sÉ™l How to pronounce council (audio) \

Kids Definition of council

: a group of people appointed or elected to make laws or give advice the city council

council

noun
coun·​cil | \ ˈkau̇n-sÉ™l How to pronounce council (audio) \

Legal Definition of council

: a governmental body: as
a : a group elected as a legislative body city council
b : an administrative body council on aging
c : an executive body whose members are equal in power and authority — compare committee sense 2b

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