counseling

1 of 2

noun

coun·​sel·​ing ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce counseling (audio)
variants or counselling
Synonyms of counseling
: professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes
career counseling for high schoolers
counseling for drug addicts

counseling

2 of 2

present participle of counsel entry 2

Examples of counseling in a Sentence

Noun She is receiving counseling to cope with the death of her husband. The college offers career counseling.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
That includes investing in treatment and diversion programs that offer assistance to people struggling with addiction, community violence intervention programs, youth services, counseling and alternative response programs. — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026 The parents also allegedly knew their son had mental health problems and was a threat to others but did not properly address the issues by putting him into counseling or therapy. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 Those services may include counseling, housing assistance, safety planning, employment support, legal aid and other resources. — Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 Jacobs was also ordered to have no contact with the woman involved, pay restitution, attend counseling and be under supervision for one year. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for counseling

Word History

Etymology

Noun

see counsel entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counseling was in 1927

Phrases Containing counseling

Browse Nearby Words

counselee
counseling
counsellor seal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Counseling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counseling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

counseling

noun
coun·​sel·​ing
: professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes

More from Merriam-Webster on counseling

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for counseling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about counseling

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All