1
as in meetings
a coming together of a number of persons for a specified purpose
a war council attended by the top commanders of each of the armed services
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in organizations
a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest
the neighborhood council decided to campaign for a new park
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in seminars
a meeting featuring a group discussion
summoned to a council to discuss ways that the state could improve medical care for the elderly
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in discussions
an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue
an unscheduled council in the judge's chambers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of councils
Probst also confirmed that the jury, which will have a say in the eventual winner of the season, would begin after the three tribal councils that night.
—
Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
That fall, during councils with Native leaders, York played a surprising and vital role.
—Craig Fehrman, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2026
One called Rabin’s government a Judenrat, the Nazi term for Jewish councils appointed to oversee ghettos.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Controllers formed local safety councils and every time that a controller made these safety reports, another controller was compiling data to back up the recommendation.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar function as monarchies in which consultative councils advise but do not substantially constrain the ruler.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2026
Exacerbating the problem is that four town councils – Hebron, Lowell, Kingsbury and Pines – have yet to appoint a representative.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Tuesday’s decision made Sacramento City Council the 21st member to give the agreement a thumbs up, with about 10 more boards and councils still to go for the powerful partnership, or the Water Forum.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 18 Mar. 2026
First, both councils should direct their staff to coordinate with each other and produce a joint staff report giving both city councils a common set of facts on the pros and cons of different options to make this intersection safer.
—Jerry Presley, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
That fall, during councils with Native leaders, York played a surprising and vital role.
—Craig Fehrman, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2026
One called Rabin’s government a Judenrat, the Nazi term for Jewish councils appointed to oversee ghettos.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Controllers formed local safety councils and every time that a controller made these safety reports, another controller was compiling data to back up the recommendation.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar function as monarchies in which consultative councils advise but do not substantially constrain the ruler.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2026
Exacerbating the problem is that four town councils – Hebron, Lowell, Kingsbury and Pines – have yet to appoint a representative.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Tuesday’s decision made Sacramento City Council the 21st member to give the agreement a thumbs up, with about 10 more boards and councils still to go for the powerful partnership, or the Water Forum.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 18 Mar. 2026
First, both councils should direct their staff to coordinate with each other and produce a joint staff report giving both city councils a common set of facts on the pros and cons of different options to make this intersection safer.
—Jerry Presley, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for councils
Noun
-
Multiple Administration officials emerged from these meetings nervous about Altman’s ambitions in the Middle East.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Joel Farabee and Matvei Gridin had a goal and an assist apiece for the Flames, who extended the Ducks' late-season spiral by earning their first win over Anaheim in four meetings this season.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pooling resources after 2018 lessons A variety of Democratic organizations are working together to pool campaign data and other resources.—
Nathalie Marie Palacios,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Porter has also worked as a meteorological technical subject matter expert in for both government and commercial organizations around the world.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Repticon also features educational presentations, seminars and interactive exhibits about the care and conservation of reptiles.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
There will also be carnival rides and games, eating contests, cooking demonstrations, wine seminars, food booths selling Italian favorites, as well as The Moretti Beer Garden and the Spritz Del Conte Wine Garden.—
Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, or its parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Most markets saw Fox’s Joe Davis and John Smoltz cover the third game of the Yankees-Giants series, although affiliates in the Southeast and the dead center of the country carried the Royals-Braves feed.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Signaling progress in the peace talks, Axios reported that Washington and Tehran were engaged in discussions mediated by some Gulf states for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could end the conflict, although the odds for reaching a partial deal before the Tuesday deadline were slim.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, discussions about philosophy, politics and religion might be profound or thought-provoking to you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Breakfast at Sophia works perfectly for multi-generational gatherings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
On Sunday, police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This newsroom-wide project brings fast facts as stories unfold — making sure our local officials and institutions are telling the truth, serving our communities well and following through on their promises.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
At many Jewish institutions, rejecting Zionism is indeed regarded as a form of sacrilege.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are annual conferences, key networking events that function as temporary epicenters.—
Bill Gurley,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The 1926 auditorium, designed by Chicago architects Benjamin Marshall and Charles Fox (whose resumes also include the Drake and Blackstone Hotels), once housed surgical conferences.—
Lauren Warnecke,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Councils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/councils. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
