counselor

noun

coun·​sel·​or ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər 

variants or counsellor

1

: a person who gives advice or counseling

a marriage counselor

2

: lawyer

specifically : one that gives advice in law and manages cases for clients in court

The defendant conferred with his counselor.

3

: one who has supervisory duties at a summer camp

The counselor led the campers on a hike through the woods.

counselorship

ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms

• adviser
• advisor
• consigliere
• consultant
• counsel

Examples of counselor in a Sentence

He works as a camp counselor.

a young couple going to a marriage counselor

Recent Examples on the Web

But his high school counselor Gwen Fields encouraged him to apply to college and coached him through the process. —Todd Longwell, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025

Elon Musk—the outgoing leader of the Department of Government Efficiency—has continued to launch insults at Peter Navarro, Trump's senior counselor for trade and manufacturing. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025

Musk, 53, and economist Peter Navarro, who serves as Trump’s senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, have been at odds over the sweeping tariffs the president imposed last week. —Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Many Hispanic students attend public high schools with few college counselors. —Jon Marcus, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see counsel entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing counselor

• counselor-at-law
• guidance counselor

Rhymes for counselor

• councillor
• councilor
• counsellor

Kids Definition

counselor

noun

coun·​sel·​or

variants or counsellor

ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər 

1

: a person who gives advice

guidance counselor

2

: lawyer

3

: a supervisor of campers or activities at a summer camp

Medical Definition

counselor

noun

coun·​sel·​or

variants or counsellor

ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)lər 

: a person engaged in counseling

Legal Definition

counselor

noun

coun·​se·​lor

ˈkau̇n-sə-lər

: counsel