council

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Deliberative assembly

Nouns

1. council, committee, subcommittee, panel, advisory council, brain trust, comitia, chamber, board, bench, directory, chapter, syndicate, junta, camarilla, cabal, clique; cabinet, privy council, troika; council of war; senate, upper house, house of representatives, lower house; parliament, chamber of deputies, legislature, congress, diet, divan; county council, city council; court, forum, tribunal, court of appeal[s]; consistory; diocesan, plenary, or ecumenical council; Council of Trent or Nicaea, Vatican Council, Lateran Council; vestry; grievance committee; council fire. Informal, brain trust.

2. convention, assembly (see assemblage).

3. (member of a committee) statesman, senator, congressman, representative, member of parliament, M. P., council member, councilperson, councilor, councilman or -woman, assemblyman, legislator; majority leader, minority whip or leader; conventioneer; jurist, judge, justice.

Verbs — sit, assemble; sit on; deliberate, debate; serve, attend, hold court.

Adjectives — conciliar; consultative, consultatory, consultory; bicameral, unicameral.

Adverbs — in council, committee, session, executive session, conference, etc.

Phrases — a committee is a group of the unwilling, chosen from the unfit, to do the unnecessary.

Quotations — Committee — a group of men who individually can do nothing but as a group decide that nothing can be done (Fred Allen), A camel is a horse designed by a committee (Alec Issigonis), A cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured, and then quietly strangled (Sir Barnett Cocks).

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A chosen group, usually advisory]

Syn. advisory board, cabinet, directorate; see committee .

2. [A deliberative meeting]

Syn. chamber, senate, assembly; see gathering .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

meeting, assembly, conference, *powwow, convention, gathering, convocation, session, caucus, congress.