Category:Council

Coun"cil (koun"sl), n. Etym: [F. concile, fr. L. concilium; con- + calare to call, akin to Gr. hale, v., haul. Cf. Conciliate. This word is often confounded with counsel, with which it has no connection.]

1. An assembly of men summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation, or advice; as, a council of physicians for consultation in a critical case.

2. A body of man elected or appointed to constitute an advisory or a legislative assembly; as, a governor's council; a city council. An old lord of the council rated me the other day. Shak.

3. Act of deliberating; deliberation; consultation. O great in action and in council wise. Pope. Aulic council. See under Aulic. -- Cabinet council. See under Cabinet. -- City council, the legislative branch of a city government, usually consisting of a board of aldermen and common council, but sometimes otherwise constituted. -- Common council. See under Common. -- Council board, Council table, the table round which a council holds consultation; also, the council itself in deliberation. -- Council chamber, the room or apartment in which a council meets. -- Council fire, the ceremonial fire kept burning while the Indians hold their councils. [U.S.] Barilett. -- Council of war, an assembly of officers of high rank, called to consult with the commander in chief in regard to measures or importance or necessity. -- Ecumenical council (Eccl.), an assembly of prelates or divines convened from the whole body of the church to regulate matters of doctrine or discipline. -- Executive council, a body of men elected as advisers of the chief magistrate, whether of a State or the nation. [U.S.] -- Legislative council, the upper house of a legislature, usually called the senate. -- Privy council. See under Privy. [Eng.]

Syn. -- Assembly; meeting; congress; diet; parliament; convention; convocation; synod.

--- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Council - Spoken of counselors who sat in public trials with the governor of a province (Acts 25:12). The Jewish councils were the Sanhedrin, or supreme council of the nation, which had subordinate to it smaller tribunals (the "judgment," perhaps, in Matthew 5:21 - 5:22) in the cities of Palestine (Matthew 10:17; Mark 13:9). In the time of Christ the functions of the Sanhedrin were limited (John 16:2; 2 Corinthians 11:24). In Psalm 68:27 the word "council" means simply a company of persons. (R.V. marg., "company.") In ecclesiastical history the word is used to denote an assembly of pastors or bishops for the discussion and regulation of church affairs. The first of these councils was that of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, of which we have a detailed account in Acts 15.