What is the Latin word for council?

The usual Latin words for “council” are concilium, cōnsilium, senātus; also decuriō, synodus, flōrus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“council” in Latin

conciliuma council; a meeting cōnsiliumplan, intention, design, purpose; counsel, advice; determination, resolve, resolution senātusalternative letter-case form of Senātus (“the Roman Senate”); senate, a council of elders, parliament, or similar delibe decuriōdecurion; foreman synodussynod, council flōrusyellow, blond; flowering; shining, bright

The English word council itself goes back to Latin cōnsulō, through cōnsilium.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

council

concilium or consilium (most regularly, concilium; but the MSS. vary much :”the distinction given by Gronov., Liv., 44, 2, that concilium is a council in which one person addresses the rest, and says authoritatively what must be done; consilium (when used of the assembly), one in which the assembled body deliberate, seems to be unfounded. ☞ Caes., B.G., 2, 4; and 1, 40,” Freund): senatus (as supreme council of a state or town): decuriones (in a small town; the town-council): the supreme council, penes quos est summa consilii. A privy-council, consilium sanctius (Liv. 44, 35). [Vid: “cabinet council,” under CABINET.] Council of state, consilium publicum (Cic., Mil., 33, 90); consilium reipublicae (Florus): a permanent council of state, consilium reipublicae sempiternum: the elders formed the supreme council of state, respublica penes senes erat: to hold a council, consilium, senatum habere: to summon a council, concilium convocare (Cic.), advocare (Liv.) vocare, cogere (Verg.): to dismiss a council, concilium dimittere: to remove it (to another place), concilium transfers (e.g., Lutetiam): to take a part in their secret councils, consiliis arcanis interesse (Liv. 35, 18): to be chosen member of a council, in consilium delectum esse (Cic.): fieri publici consilii participem (of a state-council, Cic.).

Council of war, consilium militare or castrense, or, from context, consilium only: praetorium (if assembled in or before the tent of the commander-in-chief): duces or principes, quos sibi imperator ad consilium capiendum deligit (Caes.., B.G., 7, 36); from context, duces or principes only (if composed of the superior officers): to hold a council of war, consilium habere; to summon one, consilium convocare; to dismiss or break up one, praetorium or duces dimittere: the council meets or assembles, duces conveniunt: to lay anything before a council of war, rem deferre ad consilium (Caes.); referre aliquid ad consilium (Nep.): Council chamber, curia.

Meeting of the heads of the Church, *concilium principum rei Christianae, or concilium only: synodus (Scriptores Ecclesiastici).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for council?: The usual Latin words for “council” are concilium, cōnsilium, senātus; also decuriō, synodus, flōrus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.