Meaning & use
councilors
Last updated
“councilors” is a form of “councilor”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Elected members of a local or regional governing council who debate and decide on public matters.
Grammar: Plural of councilor: the councilors voted.
Patterns
- councilors vote on something
- elect councilors
The councilors voted to repair the old bridge.
Residents wrote letters to their councilors about the traffic.
Four new councilors joined the board after the election.
Word forms
| singular | councilor |
|---|
Common combinations
- elected councilors
- The elected councilors meet every Tuesday.
- town councilors
- Town councilors discussed the parking rules.
- vote of the councilors
- The vote of the councilors was close.
- contact your councilors
- Contact your councilors if you have a concern.
Synonyms and how they differ
- council members
- It is the more neutral phrase and is used when you want to avoid the spelling variants.
- aldermen
- It is an older, regional term for council members in some cities.
- representatives
- It is broader and can mean members of any legislative body.
Word family
- councilor noun
- one elected council member
- council noun
- a governing group
- councilwoman noun
- a female council member
- councilman noun
- a male council member
Commonly confused: councilors or counselors?
councilors vs counselors
Counselors give advice or guidance, such as school counselors, while councilors sit on a governing council.
Practice
The town ___ voted to build a new library.
Choose one answer.
Councilors are members of a governing council who vote on town matters. Counselors only advise, so they would not hold a vote.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “councilors”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.