# Council

A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or national level are not considered councils. At such levels, there may be no separate executive branch, and the council may effectively represent the entire government. A board of directors might also be denoted as a council.
A committee might also be denoted as a council, though a committee is generally a subordinate body composed of members of a larger body, while a council may not be. Because many schools have a student council, the council is the form of governance with which many people are likely to have their first experience as electors or participants.
A member of a council may be referred to as a councillor or councilperson, or by the gender-specific titles of councilman and councilwoman.

## In politics

Notable examples of types of councils encountered in politics include:
* Borough council, a form of local government
* Catholic ecumenical councils, ecclesiastical gatherings for ordering the Catholic Church.
* City council, a form of local government.
* Community council, the most local official representative body in Scotland and in Wales.
* Council of Europe, a political, intergovernmental organization with 47 member countries.
* Council of the European Union, the upper house of the European Union.
* Council of state, an organ of government in many states.
* County council, a council that governs a county in the British Isles.
* District council, a unit of government in various jurisdictions.
* Ecumenical council, pan-Christian discussion bodies.
* European Council, the body of heads of states or of governments of the European Union.
* Labour council, an association of labour unions or union branches in a given area.
* Municipal council, a form of local government.
* National security council, an executive-branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues.
* Parish council (England), a form of local government in part of the United Kingdom.
* Privy council, a body that advises the head of state of a country.
* Provincial council, a governing body for a province.
* Regional council, a local-government body in various countries.
* Shire council, an entity of local government in Australia.
* Shura Council, the formerly upper house of the Egyptian parliament.
* Town council, a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or parishes
* Tribal council, First Nations' and Native American Nations' governing bodies
* Research Councils UK, government agencies responsible for an area of research in the United Kingdom
* United Nations Security Council, a decision-making body at the United Nations
* Vatican Council, a high-level policy-council of the Roman Catholic Church
* Village council (State of Palestine), a local-government body in Palestine
* Workers' council, a council composed of working-class or proletarian members.

## In other fields

Types of councils encountered in other spheres include:
* Arts council: a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts.
* Bar council: a professional body that regulates the profession of barristers together with the Inns of Court.
* Buddhist councils: important historical events in the history of Buddhism.
* Council (Boy Scouts): a non-profit private corporation within Boy Scouts of America.
* Ecumenical council: a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice.
* Military council:
* Science research council
* Student council: a student organization present in many elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities.
* Synod: in a Christian church.
* University Council: running a university.
* War Council: discussions pertaining to a declaration of war, or tactics and strategy of a coming battle.
* Works council: a body representing the workers of a plant, factory, etc., elected to negotiate with the management about working conditions, wages, etc.
* Youth council: an example of youth voice engaged in youth-led decision-making.