See Also: Right To Counsel(law)
COUNSEL(law)
Counsel:(law)
counsel(2)(dictionary)
counsel(1)(dictionary)
General Counsel(law)
Junior Counsel(law)
Queens Counsel(law)
COUNSEL TO ASSIST(law)
Bond counsel(money)

counsel(1) (iou)



counsel noun. ME.
[Old French c(o)unseil (mod. conseil) from Latin consilium consultation, plan, deliberating body, rel. to consulere: see CONSULT verb.]
I. 1. (A piece of) advice, (a) direction, esp. when the result of deliberation. ME.
S. Johnson The counsels of philosophy and the injunctions of religion. Saki Francesca..not only sought his counsel but frequently followed it.
b. Theology. Any of the advisory declarations of Christ and the Apostles, given as a means of attaining greater moral perfection. LME.
2. Interchange of opinions; deliberation, consultation. ME.
3. The ability to counsel or give advice; judgement, prudence, sagacity. ME-M17.
4. The result of deliberation; a resolution, a purpose; a plan. ME.
5. A secret purpose or opinion; a secret. Long obsolete exc. with keep (see below). ME.
II. Cf. COUNCIL.
6. gen. A body of advisers. ME-M16.
b. A counsellor. LME-M17.
7. Usu. collect. pl. A body of legal advisers engaged in the direction or conduct of a court case. LME.
Ld Denning They went off to their solicitors. They saw counsel.
b. (Pl. usu. same.) A legal adviser; a barrister, an advocate (in Scotland etc.). L17.
New Statesman Counsel is holding the photograph the wrong way up. Jo Grimond I was briefed as junior counsel to defend a man charged with murder.
Phrases: counsel of despair an action to be taken when all else fails. counsel of perfection advice designed to guide one towards moral perfection (see Matthew 19:21); ideal but impracticable advice. in counsel in private, in confidence. keep counsel arch. observe secrecy. keep one's counsel, keep one's own counsel keep one's secret; be reticent. keep someone's counsel keep a secret which someone has committed to one. King's Counsel, Queen's Counsel a senior barrister appointed on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor. leading counsel: see LEADING ppl adjective. Parliamentary Counsel: see PARLIAMENTARY adjective. purge of partial counsel: see PURGE verb 4b. Queen's Counsel: see King's Counsel above. take counsel consult (with).
counselless [-l-l-] adjective without counsel ME.