counsel
noun
coun·sel
| \ ˈkau̇n(t)-səl
\
\
Definition of counsel
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: advice given especially as a result of consultation
He was unwise to reject my counsel.
b
: a policy or plan of action or behavior
2
: deliberation, consultation
b
: guarded thoughts or intentions
He was chary and given to keeping his own counsel.
4a plural counsel
(1)
: a lawyer engaged in the trial or management of a case in court
(2)
: a lawyer appointed to advise and represent in legal matters an individual client or a corporate and especially a public body
counsel
verb
coun·sel
| \ ˈkau̇n(t)-səl
\
\
counseled
or counselled;
counseling
or counselling\ ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)liŋ
\
\
Definition of counsel (Entry 2 of 2)
: advise
… counselled them to avoid rash actions …— George Orwell
: consult
counseled with her husband
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Synonyms for counsel
Synonyms: Noun
advocate, attorney, attorney-at-law, counselor (or counsellor), counselor-at-law, lawyer, legal eagle
Synonyms: Verb
advise, confab, confabulate, confer, consult, parley, powwow, treat
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Examples of counsel in a Sentence
Noun
We seek counsel from the rich and powerful to learn their secret … — Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Feb. 2004 God had done a poor job, and Soaphead suspected that he himself could have done better. It was in fact a pity that the Maker had not sought his counsel. — Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye, (1970) 1994 No matter how much time he is given, counsel would always like more, but the Chief Justice will not grant an extra minute unless the lawyer is responding to a question from the bench. — Robert H. Bork, The Tempting Of America, 1990 Counsel were to be employed. … And when the matter had been decided by the lawyers, Lord Fawn was to express his regret for having suspected his lady-love! — Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1871 You were unwise to reject my counsel. The student sought counsel from her teacher. She is serving as counsel for the defendant. All counsel are expected to obey the rules of the court.Verb
He balked at authority and, according to Mr. Green, tuned you out if you tried to counsel him. — David Grann, New Republic, 14 Feb. 2000 She had six children, whom she counseled and with great wisdom and patience. — Erma Bombeck, The Best of Bombeck, (1965) 1967 I had counselled Catherine to dine upstairs, but as soon as he perceived her vacant seat he sent me to call her. — Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847 He counsels people who are trying to quit drinking. concerned parents counseling about the problem of substance abuse in their community
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Kees said that as of Tuesday morning, Levy had not obtained counsel to represent him in the case. — CBS News, "Former VA pathologist charged in deaths of 3 veterans," 21 Aug. 2019 Levy pleaded not guilty at a hearing Tuesday and had not obtained counsel to represent him, prosecutors said. — Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "Ex-VA doctor who was fired for being drunk on job charged with manslaughter in 3 veterans' deaths," 21 Aug. 2019 And Thompson made the threats and committed the crimes that counsel against her release, even while apparently receiving mental-health treatment. — Washington Post, "Suspect in huge Capital One breach seeks release from jail," 20 Aug. 2019 The judge dismissed all three jurors Monday on what would have been the 10th day of deliberations and told them not to speak to anyone other than counsel about the case until the end of the trial. — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Ghost Ship trial: Dismissed jurors could face contempt proceedings," 20 Aug. 2019 Harvester Place management has been in touch with the families of all its residents through phone calls and individual meetings, said Audrey Knoth of Goldman & Associates Public Relations, Harvester Place’s public relations counsel. — Kimberly Fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Burr Ridge police seek subpoenas for digital information related to videos at dementia care facility; employees have been retrained, Harvester Place says," 20 Aug. 2019 The president has repeatedly expressed interest in buying the island to advisers, and asked his White House counsel to investigate the possibility, according to the Wall Street Journal. — Katherine Dunn, Fortune, "Trump Reportedly Wants To Buy Greenland. Greenland Says: No, Thank You," 16 Aug. 2019 Discovery refers to the parties being compelled by the presiding judge, Judge Gary Klausner, to share evidence (such as emails and texts) and answer questions posed by opposing counsel. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Why Mediation Was Unlikely to Work Now and What Comes Next for USWNT, U.S. Soccer," 15 Aug. 2019 As for Luber, he’s still employed at the CDC and holds his official title, according to PEER staff counsel Kevin Bell. — Maya Earls, Science | AAAS, "Climate expert at CDC poised to file whistleblower complaint over treatment," 14 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Players are often counseled not to base their decision purely on who’s their head coach. — Stephen Means, cleveland.com, "Paris Johnson Jr.'s two recruitments to Ohio State and his growth as a 5-star prospect: Buckeyes recruiting," 15 Aug. 2019 One hundred volunteer therapists counseled 200 people in the first three weeks. — Karen Heller, Washington Post, "A club no one wants to join: How Pittsburgh is reaching out to comfort El Paso and Dayton," 8 Aug. 2019 In pursuit of a mythical middle ground, the faint-hearted will counsel against calling out the moral culpability of those who divide, deflect and evade. — E.j. Dionne Jr., The Mercury News, "Dionne: On guns and white nationalism, one side is right and one is wrong," 6 Aug. 2019 Many of the department’s 20 female firefighters counseled the trainees. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio Fire Department hosts Hero Like Her Camp," 27 July 2019 Doing nothing and leaving it only up to firms, as some on the right would counsel, won’t work. — Robert D. Atkinson, National Review, "Higher Productivity Is Good for Workers," 25 July 2019 Based on the allegations, supervisors later counseled Kolding about treating others professionally, the records show. — Lewis Kamb, The Seattle Times, "Ex-Seattle police lieutenant running for City Council harassed fellow officer then lied about it, investigators found," 17 July 2019 Manager Bud Black, though clearly thrilled to have Freeland back, counseled the Denver native not to make too much out of his mid-season return to Coors Field. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Kyle Freeland returns to Rockies, ready to contribute in second half," 12 July 2019 In addition to playing the euphonium, a low brass instrument, Kumiko counsels the freshmen and encourages everyone. — Charles Solomon, latimes.com, "Review: ‘Sound! Euphonium the Movie — Our Promise: A Brand New Day’ feels undeveloped," 10 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counsel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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