Counsel vs. Consult — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 4, 2024
Counsel involves providing advice or guidance, especially in a professional context, while consult refers to seeking advice or information from someone.
Difference Between Counsel and Consult
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Counsel is the act of giving advice or guidance, often in a more formal or professional setting, such as legal, psychological, or educational advice. Consult, on the other hand, is the act of seeking advice, information, or expertise from someone.
While counsel is typically focused on providing advice, consult encompasses both the seeking and giving of advice. This difference highlights the roles involved; counseling often places the individual or organization in the role of advisor, whereas consulting can involve either seeking or providing expertise.
In practical applications, counsel is often associated with ongoing advice and support over a period, reflecting a relationship or agreement between the advisor and the advisee. Consulting tends to be more project-specific or question-oriented, focusing on specific issues or decisions rather than ongoing support.
The choice between counsel and consult can also reflect the nature of the advice or information sought. Legal, therapeutic, or educational advice is often considered counseling due to the specialized knowledge required. Consulting is used in contexts where expertise in a specific field or subject is sought to inform decisions or strategies.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Providing advice or guidance
Seeking advice or information
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Context
Often formal or professional
Can be formal or informal
Interaction
One-way (from counselor to client)
Two-way (seeking and giving advice)
Focus
Ongoing advice and support
Specific issues, projects, or questions
Associated With
Legal, psychological, educational advice
Expertise in specific fields or subjects
Compare with Definitions
Counsel
Providing professional advice.
The lawyer provided counsel on copyright law.
Consult
Inquiring for specific information.
I need to consult the manual for troubleshooting steps.
Counsel
Providing support and advice.
The therapist counseled the couple through their issues.
Consult
Asking for professional guidance.
Consult your doctor before starting any new medication.
Counsel
Advising based on expertise.
As a financial counselor, he offers counsel on investment strategies.
Consult
Seeking expert advice.
They consulted a marketing expert to boost sales.
Counsel
Offering recommendations.
The educational counselor counseled students on course selections.
Consult
Collaborating with professionals.
We're consulting with architects on the new building design.
Counsel
Guidance in decision-making.
She sought her mentor's counsel before accepting the job offer.
Consult
Engaging an expert's services.
The company consulted an IT specialist for the system upgrade.
Counsel
A counsel or a counsellor at law is a person who gives advice and deals with various issues, particularly in legal matters. It is a title often used interchangeably with the title of lawyer.
Consult
Seek information or advice from (someone, especially an expert or professional)
If you consult a solicitor, making a will is a simple procedure
Counsel
The act of exchanging opinions and ideas; consultation
Joined in counsel with colleagues before deciding the issue.
Consult
An act of consulting a professional; a consultation
After a consult with his attorneys, he retracted his previous statement
Counsel
Advice or guidance, especially as solicited from a knowledgeable person.
Consult
To seek advice or information of
Consult an attorney.
Counsel
Private, guarded thoughts or opinions
Keep one's own counsel.
Consult
To refer to
Consulted the restaurant's website for directions.
Counsel
A lawyer or group of lawyers giving legal advice and especially conducting a case in court.
Consult
To take into account; consider
Consult one's checkbook before making a major purchase.
Counsel
To give counsel to; advise
Counseled us to be prudent.
Consult
To exchange views; confer.
Counsel
To recommend
Counseled care in the forthcoming negotiations.
Consult
To work or serve as a consultant
A retired executive who consults for several large companies.
Counsel
To give or take advice. See Usage Note at council.
Consult
A consultation, especially one involving physicians.
Counsel
The exchange of opinions and advice especially in legal issues; consultation.
Consult
(obsolete) The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation
Counsel
Exercise of judgment; prudence.
Consult
(obsolete) the result of consultation; determination; decision.
Counsel
Advice; guidance.
Consult
(obsolete) A council; a meeting for consultation.
Counsel
Deliberate purpose; design; intent; scheme; plan.
Consult
(obsolete) Agreement; concert.
Counsel
A lawyer, as in King's Counsel (KC) or Queen's Counsel (QC).
Consult
(US) A visit, e.g. to a doctor; a consultation.
Counsel
(transitive) To give advice, especially professional advice, to (somebody).
The lawyer counselled his client to remain silent.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health professionals counsel clients.
Consult
(intransitive) To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer.
Counsel
(transitive) To recommend (a course of action).
I would counsel prudence in this matter.
Consult
(intransitive) To advise or offer expertise.
Counsel
Interchange of opinions; mutual advising; consultation.
All the chief priest and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him to death.
Consult
(intransitive) To work as a consultant or contractor rather than as a full-time employee of a firm.
Counsel
Examination of consequences; exercise of deliberate judgment; prudence.
They all confess, therefore, in the working of that first cause, that counsel is used.
Consult
(transitive) To ask advice of; to seek the opinion of (a person)
Counsel
Result of consultation; advice; instruction.
I like thy counsel; well hast thou advised.
It was ill counsel had misled the girl.
Consult
(transitive) To refer to (something) for information.
Look up
Counsel
Deliberate purpose; design; intent; scheme; plan.
The counsel of the Lord standeth forever.
The counsels of the wicked are deceit.
Consult
(transitive) To have reference to, in judging or acting; to have regard to; to consider; as, to consult one's wishes.
Counsel
A secret opinion or purpose; a private matter.
Thilke lord . . . to whom no counsel may be hid.
Consult
To deliberate upon; to take for.
Counsel
One who gives advice, especially in legal matters; one professionally engaged in the trial or management of a cause in court; also, collectively, the legal advocates united in the management of a case; as, the defendant has able counsel.
The King found his counsel as refractory as his judges.
The players can not keep counsel: they 'll tell all.
Consult
To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive.
Counsel
To give advice to; to advice, admonish, or instruct, as a person.
Good sir, I do in friendship counsel youTo leave this place.
Consult
To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer.
Let us consult upon to-morrow's business.
All the laws of England have been made by the kings England, consulting with the nobility and commons.
Counsel
To advise or recommend, as an act or course.
They who counsel war.
Thus Belial, with words clothed in reason's garb,Counseled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth.
Consult
To ask advice of; to seek the opinion of; to apply to for information or instruction; to refer to; as, to consult a physician; to consult a dictionary.
Men forgot, or feared, to consult nature . . . ; they were content to consult libraries.
Counsel
A lawyer who pleads cases in court
Consult
To have reference to, in judging or acting; to have regard to; to consider; as, to consult one's wishes.
We are . . . to consult the necessities of life, rather than matters of ornament and delight.
Counsel
Something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action
Consult
To deliberate upon; to take for.
Manythings were there consulted for the future, yet nothing was positively resolved.
Counsel
Give advice to;
The teacher counsels troubled students
The lawyer counselled me when I was accused of tax fraud
Consult
To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive.
Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people.
Consult
The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consulation; determination; decision.
The council broke;And all grave consults dissolved in smoke.
Consult
A council; a meeting for consultation.
Consult
Agreement; concert
Consult
Get or ask advice from;
Consult your local broker
They had to consult before arriving at a decision
Consult
Seek information from;
You should consult the dictionary
Refer to your notes
Consult
When planning or deciding something
Consult
Have a conference in order to talk something over;
We conferred about a plan of action
Consult
Advise professionally;
The professor consults for industry
Common Curiosities
How does the role of a consultant differ from a counselor?
A consultant provides expert advice in a specific field, often on a project basis, while a counselor provides ongoing support and guidance, often in a personal or psychological context.
What is the main difference between counsel and consult?
Counsel involves giving advice, while consult involves seeking advice or information.
Is counsel only provided by legal professionals?
No, counsel can be provided in any professional context where advice or guidance is given, not just in legal matters.
Can consult be used in a non-professional context?
Yes, consult can be used informally, such as consulting a friend or family member for advice.
Is consulting more project-focused than counseling?
Yes, consulting tends to be more focused on specific projects, issues, or decisions, whereas counseling often involves ongoing support.
Can one consult with oneself?
Conceptually, one can consult with oneself, typically meaning to reflect deeply or consider one's own knowledge and feelings.
Can a person both consult and counsel on the same issue?
Yes, a person can both seek advice (consult) on an issue and provide advice (counsel) in their area of expertise.
Is counseling always a formal process?
While counseling often occurs in formal settings, informal counseling can also take place, such as offering advice to a friend.
What does it mean to consult a document or text?
It means to seek information or answers from written material, such as manuals, books, or articles.
How do consult and counsel fit into the medical field?
In medicine, patients consult doctors for advice, while doctors may counsel patients on treatment options and lifestyle changes.
How important is expertise in counseling and consulting?
Expertise is crucial in both; counseling requires knowledge in areas like law or psychology, while consulting requires expertise in a specific subject matter.
How do digital platforms impact counseling and consulting?
Digital platforms expand access to counseling and consulting, allowing for remote advice and support across various fields.
Can businesses provide counsel?
Yes, businesses can provide counsel through services like legal advice, financial planning, or strategic guidance.
Can consulting be a form of counseling?
In some contexts, consulting can overlap with counseling, especially when providing professional advice involves ongoing support.
Are there any legal distinctions between counsel and consult?
Legal distinctions mainly pertain to the context in which the terms are used; legal professionals provide counsel, while consult is used more broadly.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
