counseling 1 of 3

noun

variants or counselling
Definition of counselingnext
as in reassurance

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counseling

2 of 3

adjective

variants or counselling
as in consulting

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counseling

3 of 3

verb

variants or counselling
present participle of counsel
1
as in conferring
to exchange viewpoints or seek advice for the purpose of finding a solution to a problem concerned parents counseling about the problem of substance abuse in their community

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2
as in guiding
to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed every year the admissions officer counsels thousands of students about the process of applying to college

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3
as in advising
to give advice to perhaps a psychologist would be better qualified to counsel you

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4
as in suggesting
to put (something) forward as one's choice for a wise or proper course of action I would counsel caution and deliberation in this sensitive matter

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of counseling
Noun
Proceeds support mental health initiatives and licensed therapeutic counseling services in Los Gatos schools, which received $40,000 in 2025. — Debby Rice, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 The request also includes crisis counseling, disaster care management, disaster unemployment assistance, and disaster legal services. — Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
Veteran stars Derwin James and Khalil Mack, both versed in big paydays, are counseling Tuipulotu as teammates await his full return to practice. — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Leaning into her career training, Gounder recently wrote her own article for Sports Illustrated, counseling the public to be mindful of the health risks inherent in large gatherings. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for counseling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counseling
  1. reassurance
  2. consulting
  3. guiding
  4. advising
  5. suggesting
  6. consolation
  7. advisory
  8. coaching
Noun
  • Mars challenges restrictive Saturn, putting your desire to take a chance against someone else’s need for reassurance.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Watching your teen safely travel across town can offer reassurance that a moving dot on a map cannot provide.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of reassurance
Adjective
  • McKinsey could also slash as many as 2,000 non-consulting staff in one of its biggest round of layoffs ever, Bloomberg reported last month, citing unnamed sources close to the matter.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN, 23 Mar. 2023
  • The report also found McKinsey officials used their contract with the government to drum up even more consulting work with private companies.
    — Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2022
Definition of consulting
Verb
  • Human judgment will remain essential, although the quality of the system guiding that judgment will become increasingly important.
    — Goran Paun, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For example, Nvidia delivered an incredible earnings report last week and gave an extremely bullish revenue outlook for fiscal 2028, guiding for 70% year-over-year revenue growth versus analyst expectations of roughly 45%.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of guiding
Verb
  • His family, including Riley, helped to fill the void, advising them on how best to bring the five bodies of work into dialogue.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Range Founding Partner Jack Whigham is advising on the Paramount deal and will serve in an advisory and producing role on various projects.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of advising
Verb
  • Several of Chisholm’s teammates were aghast at Flemming also suggesting Red Sox reliever Jovani Morán should throw at Austin Wells in the batter’s box as retaliation.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Davidson teases that Lawrence will make recurring cameos on the series, suggesting that the tables have now turned between the rivals, as the series is set in the present day and accounts for Lawrence’s own star power.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of suggesting
Noun
  • Perhaps chalking the loss up to an off-shooting night serves as a consolation for the Liberty in a matchup where everything else went wrong.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Only one thing gave Ruiz the kind of consolation that was truly the obverse of his physical pains, and that was the sacred figure of the Virgin Mary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of consolation
Adjective
  • The white paper, produced in collaboration with advisory firm Comeback Ventures, was inspired by the work of Project Level and Populous with Denver Summit.
    — Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Yeghiazaryan’s career spans advisory consulting, financial services, content, hardware and SAAS industries including management roles at Diebold Nixdorf, Deloitte and GoPro.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of advisory
Verb
  • Perhaps his greatest legacy at UCF is Dean was coaching in 1991 when UCF finally moved out of its tiny dank gymnasium and into its first legitimate basketball arena — a sparkling, by UCF standards, 5,100-seat facility.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Seahawks job was coaching running backs, Hammock’s specialty, and included a senior offensive assistant title.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of coaching

Browse Nearby Words

counselee
counseling
counselor
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Cite this Entry

“Counseling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counseling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on counseling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about counseling

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