From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcounselcoun‧sel1 /ˈkaʊnsəl/ noun [uncountable] 1 SCTa type of lawyer who represents you in courtcounsel for The judge asked counsel for the defence to explain.2 → keep your own counsel3 literaryADVISE advice
Examples from the Corpus
counsel• Emperor Constantine was said to visit the wise hermit for counsel.• And more unusually for counsel, George will ask other observers, even journalists, how they think it's going.• I'll miss her because I value her counsel.• Some Democrats on Capitol Hill have joined in the call for an independent counsel to investigate campaign fund raising.• They were denied legal counsel or the right to call witnesses in their defence.• Not even George Herbert's counsel that the country-parson's rage might here and there be justified had comforted.• Could we deny any of them if they came seeking counsel?• David Turetsky, a senior counsel in the Justice Department.• The counsel for the defense gave her opening statement.• Later I was told that in criminal trials counsel are not permitted to talk to their witnesses during adjournments.counselcounsel2 verb (counselled, counselling British English, counseled, counseling American English) [transitive] 1 formalADVISE to advise someonecounsel somebody to do something She counselled them not to accept this settlement.2 MPADVISEto listen and give support to someone with problems a new unit to counsel alcoholics→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
counsel• He counsels against reading too much Isaac Bashevis Singer.• What, perhaps, she needs to do is to learn to counsel by doing counselling and by being counselled.• Carvalho counsels cancer patients at a Rio hospital.• But an expert who counsels male rape victims says a change in the law is needed.• They also may counsel students on personal, educational, or vocational matters.• In small colleges, they may counsel students.From Longman Business Dictionarycounselcoun‧sel /ˈkaʊnsəl/ noun [countable usually singular]LAW1a lawyer who represents a client in a court of lawSYNbarrister BrEMy defence counsel destroyed his evidence on that fact alone.The prosecuting counsel told the jury that there was no further evidence to consider.the counsel for the defendant2American English a lawyer or group of lawyers who give legal advice to a company or organizationOrigin counsel1 (1100-1200) Old French conseil, from Latin consilium, from consulere; → CONSULT 