council

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun An assembly of persons called together for consultation, deliberation, or discussion.
• noun A body of people elected or appointed to serve as administrators, legislators, or advisers.
• noun An assembly of church officials and theologians convened for regulating matters of doctrine and discipline.
• noun The discussion or deliberation that takes place in such an assembly or body.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A Lutheran body organized in the United States in 1866 by the Pennsylvania synod and others which were not in sympathy with the attitude of the general synod toward the Augsburg Confession. The council proclaimed strict adherence to the Lutheran faith.
• noun Any assembly of persons summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation, or advice: as, a council of physicians; a family council.
• noun A body of men specially designated or selected to advise a sovereign in the administration of the government; a privy council: as, the president of the council; in English history, an order in council. See privy council, below.
• noun In many of the British colonies, a body assisting the governor in either an executive or a legislative capacity, or in both.
• noun In the Territories of the United States, the upper branch of the legislature. The term was used to denote a kind of upper house during the colonial period, and was retained in this sense for a few years by some of the States.
• noun A common council. See below.
• noun In the New Testament, the Sanhedrim, a Jewish court or parliament, with functions partly judicial, partly legislative, and partly ecclesiastical. See Sanhedrim.
• noun In ecclesiastical history: An assembly of prelates and theologians convened for the purpose of regulating matters of doctrine and discipline in the church.
• noun Any body or group of persons wielding political power.
• noun Same as counsel. See counsel.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun An assembly of men summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation, or advice.
• noun A body of man elected or appointed to constitute an advisory or a legislative assembly.
• noun Act of deliberating; deliberation; consultation.
• noun See under Aulic.
• noun See under Cabinet.
• noun the legislative branch of a city government, usually consisting of a board of aldermen and common council, but sometimes otherwise constituted.
• noun See under Common.
• noun the table round which a council holds consultation; also, the council itself in deliberation.
• noun the room or apartment in which a council meets.
• noun [U.S.] the ceremonial fire kept burning while the Indians hold their councils.
• noun an assembly of officers of high rank, called to consult with the commander in chief in regard to measures or importance or nesessity.
• noun (Eccl.) an assembly of prelates or divines convened from the whole body of the church to regulate matters of doctrine or discipline.
• noun [U.S.] a body of men elected as advisers of the chief magistrate, whether of a State or the nation.
• noun the upper house of a legislature, usually called the senate.
• noun [Eng.] See under Privy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A committee that leads or governs (e.g. city council, student council)
• noun discussion or deliberation

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a body serving in an administrative capacity
• noun (Christianity) an assembly of theologians and bishops and other representatives of different churches or dioceses that is convened to regulate matters of discipline or doctrine
• noun a meeting of people for consultation