Meaning & use
counsel
To give advice or guidance to someone, especially about an important personal or professional decision.
See it in a sentence
The therapist counseled him to take time off before making any major decisions.
Her mentor counseled patience, reminding her that promotions rarely came in the first year.
A note on using this word
Counsel as a verb is somewhat formal; in everyday speech, advise is more common, while counsel as a noun can mean either guidance or a lawyer.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
Advice, especially serious guidance given by someone with experience or authority.
She sought her father's counsel before accepting the job offer overseas.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “counsel”, then compare your use with the examples above.