counsel
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The exchange of opinions and advice usually in legal issues.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kownsuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkaʊnsəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The exchange of opinions and advice especially in legal issues; consultation.
Something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action
Advice; guidance.
A lawyer, as in King's Counsel (KC) or Queen's Counsel (QC).
Exercise of judgment; prudence.
Deliberate purpose; design; intent; scheme; plan.
verb
transitive
To give advice, especially professional advice, to (somebody).
transitive
To recommend (a course of action).
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The exchange of opinions and advice especially in legal issues; consultation.
Used this way, counsel is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a legal use: the wording is institutional and carries a defined meaning in law rather than a loose everyday one.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
- Government/politics
- Academic writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use counsel
- “She sought legal counsel to understand her rights and options better.”
Share your sentence
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: exchange of opinions and advice especially in legal issues
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Related Learning
Guides that use this word in context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “counsel” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.