Counsel is advice or guidance, especially when given by someone knowledgeable or trusted; it can also refer to a lawyer in a legal case.
From Old French “conseil,” meaning “advice, deliberation,” from Latin “consilium” (plan, counsel). The root idea is people sitting together to think and decide.
Counsel isn’t just any advice; it suggests careful, thoughtful guidance, often when choices are serious. That’s why lawyers are called “counsel”—they don’t just follow orders, they help shape decisions.
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