1An advisory, deliberative, or administrative body of people formally constituted and meeting regularly.

1. 1.1 A body of people elected to manage the affairs of a city, county, or other municipal district.
   a ban on school buses using the road was imposed by the county council

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The mayor must present to the council his administrative actions based on the council's decisions.
   • Local government consists of elected county and municipal councils.
   • If the mayor has limited clout on the council, it's partly because he has little constituency support in the city.
   • But district councils said the county council could have done more to highlight the chance to get extra roads gritted.
   • These 1,500 men had a right to elect the city council which governed the city's 13,000 people.
   • There is a representative of our 30 townlands on the council.
   • City and district councils are at the forefront of dog control.
   • On 25 May there were elections all over Spain for regional parliaments and municipal councils.
   • I don't want to place the blame for that on the council because they must act in the interests of the whole town.
   • Lack of transport and funds for the city and municipal councils lead to huge piles of garbage.
   • He served on the council until 1979, when he decided not to run for re-election.
   • Within each county there are also towns with mayors, city councils, police chiefs, and fire departments.
   • The people elect local councils to govern their districts and municipalities.
   • Mayors and municipal councils are elected directly by the local community.
   • The parish of Clonegal has only one man going forward for a seat on the council and he has proved that no matter what your political views he has done all in his power to help the locals.
   • Incredibly, however, many on the council still refused to admit that the whole problem was the hundred acre coal fire merrily burning beneath the town.
   • He has considerable years of experience on the council; I feel he could do an excellent job as mayor.
   • Sometimes there is a deadlock in a city and district, and regional councils and mayors have to show leadership and give a casting vote.
   • The third tier of government, municipal councils, has an electoral system which varies from state to state.
   • She thanked all the officials and remarked that her five years on the council gave her an insight into how the county runs.

   Synonyms

   local authority, local government, municipal authority, civic authority, legislative body, legislature, administration, executive, chamber, assembly, ministry, governing body, government, parliament, senate, congress, diet, cabinet

   British corporation
2. 1.2British as modifier Denoting housing provided by a local council at a subsidized rent.
   a council flat

   Example sentencesExamples

   • It knows transferring council housing to other landlords is an emotive issue on estates - with tenants in several areas rejecting such a move earlier this year.
   • As they cannot afford to buy, they will be forced into rented council housing.
   • Without the alternative of new council housing for rent, record numbers are now homeless and in temporary flats and slum hotels.
   • Dwindling demand for council housing means there are about 3,000 empty properties in the city.
   • Housing associations that have taken on former council homes under the transfer scheme have raised billions of pounds of private money to repair these properties.
   • They also want a restriction on the sale of council homes to buyers who want them only as holiday cottages.
   • He was exposed to asbestos dust when working as a joiner in the 1970s on the construction of council housing.
   • But the planners do wonder if they really ought to be doing a job which used to be done by council housing departments.
   • They insist that all council housing be handed over to the private sector or the government will not give money for the refurbishment of them.
   • It may give them access to child allowance and similar benefits, and to help with council housing.
   • She would like to speak to any youngster, whether living at home, in private rent or council accommodation.
   • Matters that have come to pass about council housing before and since transfer leave a lot be desired.
   • It does indeed have an excellent record for providing council housing services.
   • Staffing for the new services will be provided from all seven council homes.
   • Part of the property could be used for council housing and social housing.
   • Many opted to stay, moving into new Home Housing properties as their council homes were demolished.
   • Since 1980, council housing has been sold at a heavy discount.
   • Most recently I wrote about council housing, or rather the lack of it.
   • On Sunday a rebel motion on council housing transfer policy was backed on a show of hands.
   • Every council bungalow will have a security door fitted.
3. 1.3 An ecclesiastical assembly.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • This is exactly the reason why the Jerusalem council was called or convened.
   • It acquires the status of canon law in a series of three church councils in the sixth and seventh centuries.
   • So it seems the plenary council and synod proposals have been put on a back burner.
   • The council represents 19 denominations at the state capital, mostly on social issues.
   • They may not want to create a visible and abrupt rupture from the changes put into motion by the council and Pope Paul VI.
   • Most of the Reformed churches would accept the teachings of the ecumenical councils of the first millennium.
   • In 416 Augustine and his African bishops convened two diocesan councils to condemn him and Celestius, another Celt.
   • Before deciding to accept, he conferred with his synod council.
   • Prior to the council, the diaconate was generally a transitional office on the way to priestly ordination.
   • He knew how to use the papacy for his own ends, and was prepared to pay a price - though never to the extent of allowing any of his clergy to attend papal councils.
   • Synod councils can send recommendations to the Church Council before its April meeting.
   • It was decided that the text should be shown to the ecumenical observers at the council and that their reactions to it would be solicited.
   • Changes adopted by the council will be considered by the 2005 Churchwide Assembly.
   • It does not contradict any ecumenical councils or definitions of the faith.
   • The synod, like a general council, however, would have no authority over the pope and no right to reverse his decisions.
   • This pattern continued in the early ecumenical councils, especially Nicaea.
   • Begin with a 45-minute conversation with your congregational board or council.
   • Various ecumenical councils were convened where the bishops from different regions met and discussed liturgical and doctrinal matters.
   • The council could have communicated the polemical aspects of the Gospels and the facts of modern Scripture research.
   • The council is the church's supreme court, a nine-member panel that at times has more power than the Council of Bishops.
4. 1.4 A meeting for consultation or advice.
   that evening, she held a family council

   Example sentencesExamples

   • She has no business in a family council only open to family members.
   • Ordinarily, a family council is based on principles and processes set out in a family charter but this is not always the case.
   • Call a family council at some other time to work out such problems.

   Synonyms

   conference, conclave, assembly, convocation

   meeting, gathering