Meaning & use
a council house
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableBritish
In Britain, a house owned by the local government and rented to people at a low rent.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a council house, two council houses, the council houses on our street.
Patterns
- live in a council house
- rent a council house
- a council house tenant
They grew up in a council house on the edge of town.
The council is building new council houses for young families.
She put her name on the list for a council house.
nouncountablerare
In some countries, a building used by a town or city council for meetings and official business.
Grammar: Countable and usually used with the, since a town normally has one main such building.
Patterns
- meet at the council house
- the old council house
The mayor greeted the visitors at the council house.
The council house on the square is closed for repairs.
Word forms
| plural | council houses |
|---|
Common combinations
- council housing
- Many families in the area depend on council housing.
- a council house tenant
- Council house tenants pay rent to the local authority.
- on a council estate
- He grew up on a council estate in the north of the city.
- apply for a council house
- They applied for a council house after their rent went up.
- move into a council house
- The family moved into a council house last spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
- public housing
- The usual American term for homes rented cheaply with government help; use it in US contexts.
- social housing
- A wider British term covering homes rented below market price by councils or housing associations.
- housing project
- Chiefly American and often negative in tone; it refers to a group of such buildings rather than one house.
Opposites
Word family
- council noun
- The local government body that owns and rents these houses.
- council estate noun
- A group of council houses built together in one area.
- council flat noun
- The same idea as a council house, but an apartment rather than a house.
- council tenant noun
- A person who rents a home from the local council.
Commonly confused: a council house or a council house vs. a town hall? a council house or council vs. counsel?
a council house vs a council house vs. a town hall
A council house is a home people live in; a town hall is the building where the council has its offices and meetings.
a council house vs council vs. counsel
Council means a governing group; counsel means advice or a lawyer. They sound the same but are spelled differently.
Practice
Which sentence uses "council house" correctly?
Choose one answer.
A council house is a low-rent home rented out by the local council, so being given one when rent is too high fits. Option 0 confuses it with a town hall, option 2 wrongly suggests it is a normal market purchase, and option 3 describes an office or archive, not a home.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a council house”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.