council

Definition

A council is a group of people who meet to discuss, give advice, and make decisions about important matters.

A council is usually organized in an official and somewhat permanent way for a specific purpose, such as making decisions about legal matters.
The most important Jewish Council was also known as the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin had 70 members, which included Jewish leaders such as chief priests, elders, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees.
Paul was brought before a Roman council when he was arrested for teaching the gospel.
Depending on the context, the word "council" can also be translated as "legal assembly" or "political assembly."
To be "in council" means to be in a special meeting to decide something.
Note that the word "counsel" means advice or wisdom or insight. In some contexts its meaning is very similar to "council" especially when it refers to God's council.