Other forms: counsellors
A counsellor is a trained listener who helps people with problems. See a counsellor, a bereavement counsellor, student counsellor.
The job is listening and reflecting rather than advising, which surprises people expecting to be told what to do — that is most of what makes it work. British spelling doubles the l; American writes counselor, which also means a lawyer there and a summer camp supervisor. Note counsel, which as a verb means to advise and as a noun means a barrister; and council, which is an unrelated word.
1nouncounsellorA trained listener who helps people with problems.
“After her divorce, she talked to a counsellor once a week.”
counsellor is a helping professional.
Also accepted in games: counselor
Latin
cōnsiliārius
Old French
conseillier
Anglo-Norman
cunseiler
Middle English
counseilour
English
counselor
English, today
counsellor
Built from
counselor comes from Middle English counseilour, counseiler, from Anglo-Norman cunseiler, from Old French conseillier, from Latin cōnsiliārius, agent noun from cōnsilior (“to take counsel”), from cōnsilium (“plan, council, wisdom, advice”). Compare councilor. Displaced native redere, redesman, and redyeve, from rǣdġiefa.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA