From Middle English counseil, conseil, from late Old English cuncile, from Anglo-Norman cuncile and Old French concile, from Latin concilium.

• enPR: kounʹ-səl, IPA: /ˈkaʊn.səl/

council (plural councils)

1. A committee that leads or governs (e.g. city council, student council).
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC ↗:

     He turned back to the scene before him and the enormous new block of council dwellings. The design was some way after Corbusier but the block was built up on plinths and resembled an Atlantic liner swimming diagonally across the site.

2. Discussion or deliberation.
   • 1715–1720, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book IV”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC ↗:

     O great in action and in council wise.

• conciliate
• reconcile

• French: conseil
• German: Rat
• Italian: consiglio
• Portuguese: conselho
• Russian: сове́т
• Spanish: concejo

1. Surname.
2. A male given name
3. A small city/county seat in Adams County, Idaho.