(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a group of people who are elected to govern a local area such as a city or, in Britain, a county.
...Cheshire County Council...
The city ~ has voted almost unanimously in favour.
...David Ward, one of just two Liberal Democrats on the ~.
= local authority
N-COUNT-COLL; N-IN-NAMES
2.
Council houses or flats are owned by the local ~, and people pay rent to live in them. (BRIT)
There is a shortage of ~ housing...
ADJ: ADJ n
3.
Council is used in the names of some organizations.
...the National Council for Civil Liberties.
...community health ~s.
N-COUNT-COLL: usu in names
4.
In some organizations, the ~ is the group of people that controls or governs it.
The permanent ~ of the Organization of American States meets today here in Washington.
N-COUNT-COLL: usu sing, usu with supp
5.
A ~ is a specially organized, formal meeting that is attended by a particular group of people.
President Najibullah said he would call a grand ~ of all Afghans...
= conference
N-COUNT